Tears of the Sea
by Candyland
Summary: Part I of the Legends Trilogy. Five hundred years ago, the threat was sealed, but no one knows how. Now it's back, stronger than ever. And it wants Umi... FF, UA, some HL
1. Prologue

**AN: **This first chapter is kind of a teaser. I have multiple other stories to finish first, so I post now, to return to it later. All is outlined and planned, but not yet written. So feel free to tell me exactly what you think, though this chapter is more of a set-up than anything else. I don't own Magic Knight Rayearth. They are the property of the manga goddesses known as…CLAMP.

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**Prologue**

Another explosion rocked the palace down to its very foundations.

With a scream, she tumbled to the floor from the force of the shaking. But she was back on her feet again in an instant, and running again. The hallways and corridors were empty, void of any other living beings, save for the one, and she wouldn't have stopped for anyone anyway.

_I have to protect the Pillar, _she repeated over and over again in her mind. _I have to protect the Pillar. _It was her mantra, and at this point it was basically what kept her going. She had been running for what felt like eons by now, and her legs felt like they had turned to paper. But she would crawl if she had to, drag herself on her hands and knees. Anything. She had an oath to fill.

Finally, and not a moment too soon, the door she had been sprinting towards came into view. She didn't slow, though, but rather pushed herself, and sped up. With her last burst of strength, she plowed into the doors. They gave beneath the force, and opened soundlessly on well-oiled hinges.

She could still hear the explosions.

"It's a massacre!" she panted, hunching over to try and catch her breath. The building chose that moment to quake again, and she was once again thrown to the ground. But this time, she simply sat there, on her knees, gasping desperately for air.

"I know," was the soft reply. "And it will not stop until he has what he wants."

"Nothing is working against him," she went on in a rush. "He tramples our attacks, our offences, like they were nothing. Our armies are scattered like children's toys. Nothing is effective! It's like," she paused for a breath, "It's like he has no weaknesses!"

"Perhaps he doesn't," he replied.

"No!" she screamed.

"He is powerful. Very powerful," he went on. "I do not think he can be stopped."

"There has to be a way!" she cried, running one hand through her dark hair. The blood stains stood out, burning a painful red on the white of her gloves. She had been in battle; she had seen the wounded, the dead, and the dying. And she had seen many of her friends fall into those categories, amongst those numbers. "I won't let this happen!" Angry, heartbroken tears welled in her eyes; she knew crying wouldn't help the situation, but she couldn't help it.

"You have tried," he tried to placate her, though it was in vain. She would not be soothed.

"He wouldn't listen," her face fell into her hands. "He just wouldn't listen to me. I tried to tell him…why wouldn't he listen…" She sank to her knees, feeling the empty pain of defeat, a defeat that would mean a world was doomed. "It's my fault…"

There was a minute of silence, before he spoke again. "There might be a way…"

Her head snapped up, eyes wide and bright with tears. "What?"

"It will require great sacrifice…"

She actually crawled towards him, her voice strangled and desperate as she pleaded. "Tell me! Whatever it is, I'll do it, I'll do anything, just tell me!"

It took but a few brief moments to explain. In those few minutes, her world shattered and crashed down around her. And there was silence once again as she processed the information in her mind.

"Do you understand?" he asked.

She nodded, then paused. "I have a request…"

"Yes?" Quickly, she made her wishes, and was assured they would be granted. "Anything else?"

"Tell him," she replied. "And tell him I'm sorry."

A moment later, she was alone in the room.

Biting her lip, she gripped the sword tightly in both hands. The instrument of her death, and the salvation of thousands. And now, with this one loose end tied up, she was free to carry out her sworn oath. She would protect this world, protect this land, and protect all of the people in it.

She allowed herself one moment. There was so much she hadn't been able to do, so much she had wanted to say, but never took the time or allowed herself the words.

And now…

And now…

It was all over. Too late.

And they would all be together again, only in a different place.

It would be short, blessedly short. Shorter than their's had been. She knew that for a fact. She had held one of her closest friends as she died. The blood on her clothes, her skin, her hands—that was their blood. Very little of it was hers. The blood of her closest friends was on her hands, both figuratively and literally. That was how she saw it, anyway.

But all sins would be atoned for in a moment.

She raised the sword, and aimed the point, still clutching it desperately with both hands to keep it steady. She could already feel her courage slipping away, undermining her resolve. Best to do it quickly, before all was lost.

Loud voices thundered in the corridor. Someone had gotten into the palace. There was no time. She had to protect Cephiro, and protect the Pillar.

"Sword, bear the taint of thy master's life," she murmured, not quite sure where those words came from. "to protect that which is held dear. And to whom the burden falls in the future…" She readied the blade, "…I'm sorry…"

The door exploded open, and she heard a shout. But there was no time left.

She gathered the last shreds of her courage, and plunged the sword deep into her own chest, up to the hilt, straight through her own heart. And she fell into the painless darkness, knowing that her purpose had been fulfilled.

Cephiro was safe. The Pillar was safe.

All was well.

But peace is fleeting…and evil does not rest.

_And so, the story begins…_

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**AN: **And the first chapter is done. Confused yet? Don't be offended, but I hope so. There's a lot of stuff in here that's intended to be ambiguous, so I can explain it later for the wonderful twists and turns I have planned. This story is going to be one hell of a roller coaster ride. Feedback appreciated, even if you don't have a clue what's going on.


	2. Reunion in Cephiro

**AN: **Wow, encouraging reviews for such a dinky little prologue! You guys rock my socks! Awesome!

Several of you professed confusion, and you know what? That's okay. I planned it that way. And you know what I'm gonna do in this chapter? That's right—completely leave the prologue behind, and pull a complete one-eighty. Please don't hurt me! I bruise easily! All will be explained in due time, I promise.

This will probably start off a little slow as I introduce a few characters, and get everyone into position. It'll pick up quickly, I promise. Oh yeah, and I'm using a cross of anime and manga storylines for the purposes of this story—they couldn't go back to Cephiro after the invasions, but I'm keeping the idea of Mokona as the Creator. Debonair happened, too.

Enjoy! I don't own Magic Knight Rayearth. The manga goddesses known as CLAMP, however, do.

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**Reunion** **in Cephiro**

With a flourish, the fabric left the girl's hand, soared majestically through the air—and landed neatly on top of another girl's head, earning a "Hey!" from the hapless victim.

Ryuuzaki Umi plucked the purple, long-sleeved shirt from her head, looking slightly less than amused at the antics of her roommate and friend. But the glare she shot in Kagura's direction was lost, as the latter was buried up to her shoulders in her closet, and therefore did not see the death-look. And Umi found herself scampering around, trying to avoid the shower of clothes being thrown around the room.

"Kagura!" Umi finally yelped as another airborne shirt caught her square in the face. "Hey!"

With a little shriek and a soft thump, Watanabe Kagura pulled free from the closet, and immediately tripped and ended up falling right on her rump on the floor. She quickly climbed to her feet, rubbing the now-bruised area that had so cushioned her less-than-graceful landing, but she recovered almost instantly, and was bouncing around the room again in a heartbeat, leaving Umi holding a few shirts and shaking her head in wonder.

Up until recently, Umi hadn't believed anything could have been as tough as the journey through Cephiro. Then she'd started college, and found out that there were many different levels of difficult. And college had been an entirely different facet of difficulty.

Her roommate was a perfect and obvious example. She and Kagura had been friends for quite some time, attending the same school for many years. There was just one thing: when Kagura got excited or hyper about something…well, even Hikaru would blanch and back away slowly.

And now was a prime example of that.

"Kagura!" Umi finally barked in exasperation, a little more loudly than she had intended, but she got the effect she had wanted.

Her roommate stopped dead in her tracks and whirled around, brown ponytail sweeping in a wide arc about her. Chocolate eyes gazed at her quizically. "What's up?"

"First of all, calm down. Secondly," Umi chucked the clothing at her friend, "I believe these are yours. Just pick an outfit!" Her attention shifted back to her own reflection. "It's not like we're going to an award's banquet or something. It's just a night out."

"Gomen ne," Kagura took a few deep breaths to try and calm herself down. "It's just that we never get to go out anymore. Always homework or tests or meetings or practices or general lack of funding or lack of energy or whatever…" She dumped the loose clothing on her desk chair. "I'm just excited!"

Umi shook her head and refocused on her own reflection. A night on the town was indeed a rare treat for college students, for all the reasons Kagura had listed. Just a few friends—it was her, Kagura, Takeshi, Hikaru, and Fuu. Not that Takeshi complained about being the only rooster in the henhouse, though it wasn't really worth much—he was the onii-chan. The big brother to his little 'harem,' he fulfilled all the duties required of an elder sibling—including beating off any unwanted male attention.

Speaking of whom…

"Knock knock," the voice came from the other side of the half-open door. "Is everyone decent?"

"No," Umi replied automatically, knowing that no matter the response, the door would open.

Sure enough, Takeshi poked his head in. "Really?" He was rewarded by a light slap on the back of the head, courtesy of Kagura, who bounded across the room just for it, and one of Umi's patented eye-rolls.

The blue-haired beauty's attention returned yet again to her mirror. And for a split second, she could have sworn she saw someone standing over her shoulder. A woman's face. But she blinked and it was gone, so she brushed it off. Kagura was running around like crazy, so it was probably just that.

Banishing the thought from her mind, she did one last mirror check. For once, she had forsaken her usual blue attire in favor of black—black pants, black tank top, and a long-sleeved sheer shirt over it. She wore her hair down, as there wasn't much else she could do with it save for the black headband she wore to keep it back from her face. Simple and sophisticated—that was what her style had become.

Kagura bounded up beside her, chocolate-colored curls bouncing from her head like crazed Slinkees. She threw her arms around her friends neck and grinned into the mirror. "I finally decided what to wear! Let's go!" Ironically enough, it was the same purple shirt that moments ago had taken flight and landed on Umi's head.

Through the thin dorm walls, Umi could hear giggling in the hall outside. Hikaru and Fuu—who actually lived just down the hall—were ready and waiting. Umi swept up her waiting purse. "Let's go!"

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It was amazing how much the three had grown over the seven years since their adventures in Cephiro. They had been fourteen year old schoolgirls then, innocent, naïve. Now all three had bypassed the final stepping stone into adulthood—three twenty-first birthday parties that had resulted in several amusing stories, and one incredibly incriminating video of Fuu singing kareoke. Umi had cheerfully titled that particular film _Blackmail._

Right at the moment, as they stepped out of their dorm onto the streets of Tokyo, it was evident just how much the former Magic Knights had matured.

Hikaru in particular had grown, and though she was still the tiniest of the three, she was no longer a child. Umi's influence was also subtly revealing itself in the sleek black pants, white shirt, and short-sleeved red button-up she wore. But she still retained her long red braid.

Fuu, the soft-spoken brains behind their team, had always been the most adult, and it was still obvious simply in the way she carried herself. A knee-length, forest-green skirt matched with a white shirt suited her just fine, and she'd grown her hair longer, though nowhere near as long as Umi's.

Or Hikaru's, for that matter.

And so they set out for downtown, five teenagers out for a good time.

At Kagura's insistence, they were going to the fabled Tokyo Tower first. She had begged; she hadn't been there in ages, she said, and it was a great place to take pictures and such. With everyone looking so nice and all, it was a fantastic opportunity.

Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu hadn't been to the Tower in a long time either, but for a slightly different reason, one they weren't too inclined to share with their friends. So after slight protest, they'd given in and agreed to go along on the trip. They could see it in the distance. It was illuminated against the sky, brightly lit and beautiful. Yet it made the three very uneasy.

They were almost to the Tower when Umi heard it.

The voice—a soft, low hissing noise.

"Magic Knightsssss…" it growled from somewhere close. Somewhere very close…

Blue eyes darted back and forth frantically, searching for the source of the menacing voice. The shadows cast by the buildings, trees, and alleyways around her played tricks on her eyes; the darkness seemed to bend, creating forms and beings where there were none. _Magic Knight…sense…tingling…_

The hairs on the back of her neck stood at rigid attention, and she grabbed Takeshi's arm. "We have to go. Now!" Before he could protest, there was a crashing sound, and the group of teenagers whirled to find the source of the noise.

Even though the darkness obscured the thing, it was quite obvious that this wasn't anything earthly. It looked more like something spat up out of Hell. The shadowed outline was huge and dark against the night; what little light there was shone off something that seemed remarkable similar to slime. And tentacles, waving in the night. Teeth shone, and claws glistened. It let out a low growl, a growl that grew and erupted into a roar that sounded like some bizarre cross between a lion's roar and an eagle's trumpet.

With alarming speed, it swung a tentacle at them.

"RUN!" Umi shrieked, launching herself forward. She tackled Kagura, and they just barely tumbled out of its reach; the others dove out of the way, and all quickly pulled back to their feet and took off running, as fast as they could.

It was then that they discovered just how fast that thing could move. It continued to prove itself as being not of this world, by hoisting its enormous bulk onto two short legs and sprinting after them. It matched their pace easily, and soon began to gain, following them step for step as they fled down the streets of downtown Tokyo.

And it kept making that sound, somewhere between a growl and a hiss, saying only those two words over and over again. "Magic Knightssssss…" It remind Fuu vaguely of Gollum from the Lord of the Rings movie, the way it dragged out the s's. If she threw it a ring, she wondered, would it call it Precious?

Behind them, they also heard screams of terror, and various sounds of destruction: crashes, glass breaking, and squealing tires. But they kept going, hoping to every deity that had ever heard of that the thing killed no one in its pursuit of them. But they had to flee. Unarmed, they stood no chance against it.

"The Tower!" Takeshi hollered. Sure enough, the front doors of Tokyo Tower were straight ahead.

Unsure of what he had in mind, the four girls followed. No one had any other suggestions, and they couldn't just run forever. Fuu was wheezing, and Umi was getting a sharp cramp in her side.

They burst through the doors, and followed Takeshi across the lobby. It was then that they saw what he was thinking—the elevator doors were wide open, and the elevator car was empty. Given that it was getting late, people were more apt to be leaving the landmark than going to it.

They dove into the lift, and Hikaru, who was closest, began frantically pushing the button to close the doors and begin the ascent to the top. The silvery doors began to slide closed…

There was a shattering noise as tentacles burst through the doors—but the creature itself proved too large to fit. Instead, it reached for them with those slimy things.

The elevator door closed with a soft hissing sound—a harbringer of doom to the five teens now trapped within. They heard claws scraping across metal, accompanied by a softer sound, which was in all probability the tentacles. But a second later, the elevator began moving, heading towards the top of Tokyo Tower, and whatever might be waiting there.

Kagura leaned against the wall of the elevator, gasping desperately for air. "What…the hell…was that…thing?" she wheezed, sliding down the wall to sit on the elevator floor. "That…was just…freakin' insane…good God…"

"Is everybody okay?" Fuu wheezed, following Kagura's lead and dropping to a seat on the floor. Ever the lady, she folded her legs primly under her. In response to her query, she got a chorus of 'I'm fines' and 'I'm goods,' and the like. By this time, all of them were sitting, trying to force much-needed air into burning lungs, and make muscles relax.

Takeshi looked around at each of them. "What was that? And what the hell is a Magic Knight?"

Instead of the expected shrugs and 'I don't knows,' silence met his questions. Kagura was too focused on breathing to answer, but Umi, Fuu, and Hikaru simply looked at each other questioningly, then averted their eyes.

Ding-ding. Red alert.

"You guys know something, don't you?" he demanded, unconsciously rubbing his side in an attempt to make the stitch that had developed there go away. "What's a Magic Knight?"

To his surprise, Umi replied, but it wasn't a direct answer. "I'm so sorry." He stared at her, and she lifted her gaze and looked him dead in the eye. "I'm so sorry that you two had to get involved. They're not even after you…" The thought trailed off, and a very uneasy silence fell.

"Do you think we'll be safe at the top?" Kagura asked after a moment. "I mean, they can't get us up there, can they? Right?"

"I don't know," Fuu answered softly. "It might very well be that they can't get us up there, but we can't stay on top of the Tower forever. And there's nothing that says they won't be able to just come up there and get us."

"Don't say that!" Hikaru actually moaned.

"It's the truth."

"And we're defenseless. Unarmed. Nothing," Umi sighed. "We're sitting ducks."

The top drew closer, and closer. Finally, there was a ding. The five jumped to their feet and waited. It was eternity, yet it took merely a few seconds for the door to slide open, and they stepped out onto the observation deck of Tokyo Tower.

The door closed behind them…and started moving back down. They were officially trapped.

Wide eyes darted back and forth, staring through the windows into the darkness that lay beyond. Shadows seemed to grow and meld themselves into more than what they were. But finally, one loomed directly ahead of them, the outline of wings spread behind it.

"Ohmigod, we're gonna die…" Umi moaned softly.

"C-come on," Fuu tried to encourage. "Think positive."

"Ohmigod, we're gonna die _quickly,_" Umi repeated, adding emphasis on the last word.

Despite the grave nature of their predicament, Fuu turned and bestowed a sardonic glare upon her longtime friend. "That's not exactly what I meant…" A noise outside cut their conversation off.

More shadows were appearing outside. Large shadows, simply hovering beyond the panes of glass that seperated them from their intended victims: the Magic Knights, as the thing on the street had so informed them.

"This is it," Hikaru murmured. They'd positioned themselves so that Kagura and Takeshi were behind them. It was only an illusion of protection, though; there was little doubt that whatever was out there would kill anyone or anything in its way.

The elevator had gone back down. Maybe it would bring up another group of people, out for the night to see the sights and spend time with friends. Those people would come up here to find this mess, and in all probability, their bodies. Or whatever would be left of their bodies. These things didn't seem like the kind to leave much left of their victims.

Five college students, brutally and mysteriously murdered on the platform of the landmark Tokyo Tower. Police stumped. Families in mourning. The looming headlines and chaos were painfully clear.

There was a shattering of glass and the shimmer of light reflecting off demonic eyes. There were glistening claws and teeth dripping saliva, slimy tentacles and angry growls of unhuman, unearthly beasts, set on blood and murder.

Fuu instinctively pressed herself as far backwards as possible, pushing Kagura right back against the wall. She felt claws on her neck…like fire…

_:NO:_

The monsters froze as the voice pierced their minds, like white hot steel. It was a familiar voice, one that any of the three Magic Knights would have sworn they had heard before, somewhere, long ago…somewhere…

Beyond the beasts, beyond the shattered windows, a bright light appeared at the distant edge of the horizon. And like the voice, it was oh-so-familiar…

Eyes widened in realization, in the case of the three Knights, and fear, in the case of the two hapless friends standing behind them. But it was only Fuu who managed to give voice to the thought she and her fellow Knights shared. "Cephiro…"

Then the light engulfed them, pulling them away from the Tower and the dangerous creatures so intent on killing them. They were gone from the world in which they lived, and falling into the whiteness that was their gateway to another world…

With a jolt, Umi's eyes snapped open. And she wasn't too terribly surprised to find herself floating in a crystal blue sky over an immense landscape that stretched on forever. Blue rivers, golden fields, and emerald forests, as far as the eye could see. Of course, the view only lasted for a moment, before they lost the ability to defy gravity, and the familiar fall from the sky began.

Umi waited, hoping desperately that something would be there to catch them. Granted Fyula—Clef's giant flying fish—had been there for the other times, but there was no guarantee…

Nearby, she could hear screams, but it wasn't Hikaru or Fuu. And one of the screeching voices was most definitely _not_ female…

Realization came in a flash. _Kagura! Takeshi!_

Wrenching herself around in the air, Umi found herself face to face with her two friends. Both of whom were accompanying her in this downward tumble. They, however, seemed far less calm about it than she was.

The ground was getting closer…closer…and closer still…

"OOF!"

All five simultaneously let out loud grunts of pain and/or surprise as they landed on something.

Fuu sat up first and looked down at the scaly being beneath her hands. She would have recognized that anywhere. "Fyula!" The flying fish that had already caught them twice before turned its head a little and nodded at her, chirping brightly.

"OHMIGOD!" Kagura's shriek made Fuu's ears ring, and the Knight of Windam winced.

"Where the hell are we?" Takeshi asked; his voice was a little softer, but no less irate. "You guys are way too calm, so it's pretty obvious you know what's going on. So start talking!" With each word, his voice grew a little louder and a little more agitated.

Umi stood up, careful not to fall from atop Fyula, and gestured to the vista before them. "Takeshi, Kagura, welcome to Cephiro." She pointed off into the distance, where a large crystalline building loomed, sparkling in the sunlight. "That's the palace. I assume that's where we're going."

"Umi," Fuu murmured; after years of friendship, the blonde had finally dropped the '-san' suffix from the end of their names, as Hikaru had dropped the '-chan', "we know where we are, but why are we here? Who brought us here?"

"Didn't Mokona leave?" Hikaru added.

The rest of the way to the palace was silent, save for Kagura, who continued to freak out.

They would probably, hopefully find out when they got there.

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Guru Clef's head snapped back with a gasp of shock.

Lantis shot him a quizzical look. "Nani?"

"There's…there's something here," he muttered, now looking more confused than anything else. "But…this can't be right…" Nearby, Presea, who had just come into the hall to deliver a message, watched the scene uneasily.

Apparently making a decision, Clef turned to Lantis. "Go get everyone together in the throne room. Wait there." The tall man in black didn't ask questions, but rushed to obey. Presea, however, remained behind.

"Clef…what's going on?" she asked softly.

Before he could answer, though, a beam of light shot from the ceiling, right down the center of the room. It quickly widened into a small pillar of pure white brightness. And in the center of it, at its very core, a figure emerged. A small being with wings.

The Master Mage gasped, "Creator!" at the same time Presea half-shrieked, "Mokona!"

For it was. The small, marshmallow-like being that had been the Magic Knights' guide was hovering in the middle of the room, snowy wings spread around him, yellow jewel shining in the middle of his forehead. And he spoke. "Greetings."

"C-Creator…" Clef actually stammered, "you've returned?"

"Out of necessity, I have. And I have brought the mashin with me," the deity replied. "There is danger, Guru. Grave danger, not only to Cephiro, but to all worlds. And in light of the need, it is time for those who loved Cephiro from afar to be reunited with this land."

"What does that mean?" Clef started to ask, but he received no answer.

The Creator began glowing, a blinding whiteness that engulfed him. It flared, and he dropped to the floor and looked up at them. The jewel on his forehead sparkled bright pink, and he looked as happy and carefree as he always had. He smiled, if one could call it that, at them, and let out a loud, "Puu!" It bounced twice across the floor, made a leap, and ended up in the arms of a very stunned artisan, who was busily doing an impression of a hooked halibut.

Mokona, on the other hand, was happily puu-ing away.

Finally, Presea regained her voice. "What did that mean?"

Once again, Mokona didn't give Clef a chance to respond, because the little white fluffball jumped from the pharle's arms and out the door. They watched him leave, and then turned to look quizzically at each other. However, the questioning looks didn't last for long.

A ear-splitting shriek pierced the air, and a second later, a girl came flying into the room, screaming her head off. Neither Presea nor Clef had ever seen her before. It became obvious a second later why she was so freaked out, though; she was being chased.

By Mokona?

Sure enough, the marshmallow was happily chasing the girl—a dark-haired young woman, actually quite pretty—around the room. She didn't seem to find it as amusing as Mokona did, though. She tripped, sprawled out on the floor, and immediately flipped over, staring with wide-eyes at the hopping fluffball in front of her.

"Puu!" Mokona chirped, and the girl's expression changed from alarm to something a little more questioning.

"You're actually kind of cute," she said, cocking her head to one side. It was only then that she seemed to take notice of the other people in the room, and the panic returned. "Ohmigod, I'm—I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude. I—I didn't break in or anything, I swear. I just—my friends said it was okay to just come in, so I did, and—and—" She finally stopped babbling, and waited for the axe to fall.

"Puu puu puuuuuu!" Mokona trumpeted proudly, bouncing up and down.

"Mokona, are you scaring her?" a female voice asked with a sense of amusement. "Come on, leave Kagura alone. She doesn't know you're harmless."

The two Cephirean residents whirled, and both their jaws dropped simultaneously.

Shidou Hikaru strolled calmly into the room and easily scooped up the bouncing creature. "Kagura, it's okay. He's friendly, I promise." The dark-haired girl still sitting on the floor—apparently, her name was Kagura—nodded, and climbed to her feet. But she didn't take her eyes off of the two Cephireans.

Hikaru whirled, and without words or pretense, jumped over and threw her arms around a still-shellshocked Presea, effectively squashing Mokona between the two of them. It took the artisan a moment, but she seemed to recover enough to return the hug.

"I promise you, it's completely safe," Fuu said softly, stepping into the room; she was speaking over her shoulder.

A second later, Umi made her own entrance, effectively dragging a resisting young man behind her. "Takeshi, for the last time, come on!" He made a faint whimpering sound in response, and she rolled her eyes, apparently giving up. Instead, she turned to her Cephirean friends and smiled brilliantly. "Long time, no see!"

"What are you three doing here?" Clef asked, looking—for once—completely poleaxed.

"What, aren't you happy to see us?" Umi teased, tossing her hair back with hand.

He shook his head, and gave her a wry look. Obviously, Umi hadn't changed a bit. "It's not that, I'm just…well, surprised."

"You're not the only ones!" Hikaru bubbled, standing beside Presea, still holding Mokona. "We were just out with some friends," she gestured with her head towards the two thus-far unknown people with them, "and we were attacked!"

"Attacked?" Presea jumped in, alarmed.

"It was like something Debonair would have sent after us," Fuu interjected, "only worse."

"It had us cornered," Umi added, "and then there was the light, and we dropped out of the sky again, and there was Fyula to catch us…you know, there's got to be a better way to travel between worlds."

"And whatever it was, it kept hissing at us," Hikaru chirped; she then hunched over and held her hands out, curled up in an imitation of claws, and hissed, "Magic Knightssssssssss…"

Clef nodded, then murmured thoughtfully, "Is this what Mokona meant? Those who love Cephiro from afar?"

"Huh?" Three voices asked, and he shook his head.

"Um, excuse me?" All eyes moved to Kagura, who was hadn't moved from the spot where she had fallen and then gotten up. "If it's not too much trouble," her voice was deceptively sweet, and Umi unconsciously took a step back; she knew that look, and it wasn't good, "COULD WE POSSIBLY GET AN EXPLANATION AS TO WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?" She screamed that last in a voice that would have made dogs keel over and die.

"I have to agree," Takeshi was being surprisingly calm, save for the fact that he kept Umi in front of him at all times, like a sort of human shield. "Where are we? Who are these people? And why are you three not panicking at all?"

The three Magic Knights looked at each other, and grinned sheepishly. It was Umi who stepped up to the plate, though. "Gomen ne, guys. Let me do introductions." She gestured to each person as she spoke their name. "This is Guru Clef, and Presea. This is Kagura, and Takeshi."

Hikaru broke in, "And everybody's our friends!"

Umi smiled indulgently, and then went on, "Welcome to Cephiro!"

Fuu, who hadn't spoken much during this exchange, stepped forward, halting any further explanations for the moment. "They were with us when we were attacked, and they were probably going to be killed along with us. So I'm guessing that they were simply pulled here with us," she paused and looked suspiciously at Mokona, who somehow managed to look relatively innocent, "for their own protection, or some such thing."

"We can figure it out later," Clef asserted, signalling that the conversation was pretty much at an end. "I think we should go find the others. Lantis went to rally the troops, so to speak, and they're probably waiting for word." At the mention of the swordsman's name, Hikaru stiffened, but Clef went on, leading them from the hall. "We sensed your arrival, but we weren't quite sure what to make of it. There have been some disturbances lately."

"What kind of disturbances?" Umi asked as they moved down the hall.

"Monsters attacking, forests being ripped apart, that sort of thing," he replied, leading the way.

"Hmmm…" Fuu murmured, then asked, "do you know if it could be a part of something bigger, or just random attacks?"

"We're not sure," Presea interjected, "but if you three are here…well…" The thought was left unfinished, but the intent was definitely implied and understood.

If the legendary Magic Knights had once again been summoned to Cephiro, there was little to no question that something was afoot. And if Mokona had brought the mashin back…this wasn't good.

"Um, guys?" Takeshi asked. "Do you think maybe we could get a little better explanation?"

"Please?" Kagura pleaded. She looked lost.

"Tell you what," Hikaru said. "We'll introduce to our friends here, and then we'll explain later. We'll tell you whatever you want to know…within reason. Deal?"

"Deal."

Suddenly, Fuu stopped dead in her tracks. "We're going to meet everyone else, right?" When she got nods in reply, she continued, "Is…is Ferio going to be there?" This last was a whisper.

"He should be," Presea answered. Behind her, Umi had a very knowing smile on her face.

Fuu bit her lip, mulled over this for a second—then turned and headed back down the hall they'd just come out of. But Umi wasn't having any of it. "No way! You finally get to see him again!" She dragged Fuu by the arm back to the group.

"It's…it's just been so long," she half-whimpered. "I don't know…"

"It'll be fine, and—Hikaru!" the blue-haired beauty had to dive to catch her other friend. "Don't tell me you're getting cold feet, too!" The redhead averted her eyes, and Umi sighed. "Come on, you guys! I know Ferio and Lantis are both going to be delighted to see you again!" She pushed Hikaru back to the group, then turned to Kagura and whispered, "Don't let them escape."

"These people we're talking about," the brunette whispered back, "are they…"

"Yup!"

"Ahh…" Kagura nodded knowingly.

Clef stopped by the door that, if memory served, led to the throne room. "I think they'd be in here." He actually smiled. "Shall we?"

Fuu and Hikaru both went a shade paler, but Umi nodded. "Onwards!"

He pushed the door open, and he and Presea went on in. There was a chorus of voices that heralded their arrival. One heavily accented—that was Caldina. One very deep and calm—undoubtedly Lantis. Everyone was there, and all demanded to know what was going on.

"Who wants to go in first?" Umi teased.

Mokona chose that moment to leap from Hikaru's arms—right onto Kagura's back.

Kagura shrieked and dove forward, into the room, while Mokona bounced to the floor, then hopped after her, puu-ing away. He seemed amused at her antics. Kagura, however, seemed far less than amused. "I don't like that thing!" she hollered, jabbing a finger at the small, white being. She ignored the chorus of gasps that echoed behind her.

"Mokona!" Hikaru admonished, waltzing in. "What did I tell you about scaring Kagura?" She once again scooped up the rabbit-deity, and offered her friend a hand up. "I'm really sorry about that. He usually doesn't behave this badly." Truthfully, she was happy about the distraction. It gave her a minute to gather herself before seeing…_him_ again. She'd never been so nervous in her life.

As Hikaru was scolding Mokona, she failed to notice a tall man in black armor, standing at the back of the crowd. His eyes widened, and his posture stiffened considerably.

There was a slight scuffle at the door, and Fuu, laughing, stepped in, pushing the door open the rest of the way to make way for the rest of the crew. Umi was behind Takeshi, physically pushing him in ahead of her. "Do you understand spoken Japanese? Come on, you big wimp! They're nice people, so go!" With a big shove, he half-stumbled into the room, and Umi and Fuu wandered to Hikaru's side with a little more controlled entrances.

Jaws around the room dropped. One particular young man, eyes hidden behind long brown bangs, suddenly went half-catatonic. A pair of amber-gold eyes grew to the size of dinner plates, and their owner took an unconscious step back.

There was a loud squeal, and Takeshi dogded out of the way, leaving Umi wide open to the attack. Namely, Caldina, who prompty tackled her to the floor in lieu of a crushing hug. "Look at you! All grown up and adult!" She proceeded in that vein for what felt like a long time to Umi.

"C-Caldina…" the Blue Knight gasped. "I'm happy to see you too, but…ack!"

"Oh, sorry 'bout that, hon!" the Chizetan dancer jumped to her feet, giggling like mad.

Umi rolled over and wrapped both arms around her stomach. "Meh, it's okay. Not like I, you know, needed my spleen or anything…ugh…" She pushed herself into a sitting position, and watched with a sympathetic smile as Hikaru and Fuu received the same treatment from the exuberant Caldina. All the while, Takeshi and Kagura were simply standing off to the side, watching quietly in a mixture of awe and confusion. They'd been promised explanations, so for the moment, they were content to watch the unfolding festivities.

"So the Magic Knights have returned to Cephiro," Lafarga observed. Beside him, Lantis had apparently lapsed into a wide-eyed coma, and Ferio had actually disappeared.

After a large number of greetings, Umi set about the introductions. "Everybody, these are two of my best friends on the planet," she threw one casual arm around each of their shoulders, "Kagura, and Takeshi. Be nice, they're kind of freaked right now." With that, she set about listing off the names of all the Cephirean inhabitants in the room.

When she got to Lantis, Hikaru managed to catch his eye, and threw out a tentative smile. And her relief was beyond visible when he smiled back, that little smile she had only gotten out of him once. So it seemed all was well on that front.

When Umi finished listing everybody off, she stopped and frowned. "Wait. Time out. Somebody's missing." She looked around, seemingly doing a quick headcount. And finally, she folded her arms in exasperation. "Okay, where'd Prince Charming run off to?"

Fuu tensed.

"Mou, he disappeared!" Caldina pouted, then smirked. "Probably saw how pretty Fuu got, and got all nervous, silly boy." The dancer threw her arms around the Green Knight, whose face had gone a shade of red that would have made Rayearth himself…well, green with envy.

"Maybe you should go track him down," Umi suggested, a mischievous sparkle manifesting itself in those blue eyes. "Have a little reunion. You know…all alone…nobody else around…" Even though Kagura hadn't met the man in question, she was obviously enjoying this to the fullest, and Takeshi even seemed to be trying not to laugh.

Fuu looked like she was ready to die. If the floor had turned into a black hole and swallowed her up at that moment, she probably would have thanked it profusely. But no such luck.

It appeared that her two friends were also getting along well. Takeshi was asking Lafarga something. Kagura and Caldina had hit it off from the first second they talked. It was almost frightening, really, but they were already squealing about something. Umi had a feeling she would find out soon enough what it was that they were so damn excited about.

Hikaru, meanwhile, was fidgeting, hopping from one foot to the other. She was wearing the desperate, yearning expression of a child who has just woken up on Christmas morning, and told she wasn't allowed to open any presents yet. And Umi had a vague idea…

"Hikaru," she whispered. When the redhead turned around, Umi made shooing motions with her hands, and hissed, "Go!" This last was accompanied by a conspiratorial wink.

For a moment, Hikaru looked blank. Then it seemed to dawn, and she blushed. She seemed to waiver for a minute, then shot a covert glance at Lantis.

Who was covertly watching her right back.

Hikaru was still for all of two seconds, then seemed to just give in to herself. She dove forward, throwing her arms around Lantis' waist, showing absolutely no care for anyone who might be watching. He caught her easily, and didn't let go.

"I hope this'll be included in the explanations," Kagura hissed into Umi's ear. "That's the cutest thing I've ever seen. So be a dear and do tell?"

"Okay, okay," she laughed.

"Magic Knights," Clef said suddenly, and the three automatically jumped into the familiar line. Hikaru was a little slower, though, as she seemed reluctant to move anywhere away from Lantis. "I don't know why you're here, but I think it best that you have some sort of defense." He raised the familiar staff, and shouted a single word: "ACCEPT!"

Fire, water, and wind swirled around Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu respectively. A moment later, it faded to reveal them in the familiar wristguards and one-shouldered chestplate, marked by their respective colors. And, of course, no Magic Knight would be complete without the glove on the left hand containing the gem. From that gem they would summon their magic and their weapons.

Speaking of weapons…

Presea stepped forward and raised both hands in the air. The white ribbons of a pharle swirled above her, finally revealing three all-too-familiar swords. Each blade floated down in front of its respective Magic Knight, and was instantly sucked into the gem.

Fuu's ungloved hand had gone up to cover her eyes at the flash that was the sword being 'put away,' as it were. She lowered it, and sighed, looking at the gem. "I think I'm going to have to get used to that all over again."

And Takeshi and Kagura, overcome with curiousity as to what the hell THAT was, descended. Fuu took it upon herself to make half-explanations while reinstating the promise for explanations later. Hikaru, meanwhile, moved back closer to Lantis. Primera was nowhere in sight, so there were no protests.

Struck by a sudden thought, Umi glanced around, searching for one familiar face. Ascot had been there when she'd done the introductions, but now, as she wanted to talk to him, he'd vanished. Umi put her hands on her hips and scowled. What was with all the guys disappearing today?

Behind her, she didn't notice that a third one had slipped out of the room.

_o_

_o_

"Ferio."

The Prince of Cephiro half-turned away from the window he'd been staring out.

Guru Clef was standing there, having made his own escape from the reunion, and was studying him with a strange sort of exasperated amusement. "May I tell you my opinion?"

"If you like."

"That was a damn fool thing to do," Clef shook his head. "Fuu's looking for you. She wants to see you, and you just run off. Heartless."

"Nervous," Ferio corrected, running a steady hand through green hair. "It's just been so long."

"Well, she wants to see you," Clef assured him. There was a pause as Ferio turned back to his window. Then the mage went on, "It would be best to tell them right away."

"I'll tell her myself," Ferio replied instantly, in a flat voice that didn't inspire much for arguments. "Then if she decides to kill someone, it'll hopefully be me."

"I don't think she'd ever try to kill you," Clef said with a sigh.

Ferio actually chuckled. "Umi, on the other hand…" He sighed as well. "I'll tell her soon." He spun around, white cape swirling around him. "So…where did she go?"

_o_

_o_

_o_

**AN: **Whew…another chapter done! Like I said, this is mostly moving people into place, exposition and such. Now we can dive into the really fun stuff, me thinkest. Also, before anyone asks, Kagura and Takeshi aren't just along because I wanted more characters to juggle. They will play an important part at a later time. In the meantime, it's just fun to watch Mokona chase poor Kagura around.

I hope everyone will stay tuned throughout. I have a lot of twists planned for this story, and it's been a real adventure trying to make sure I remember to outline in everything I want to happen. It's going to be quite a ride, I do declare. And it all ties in with what happened in the prologue. I promise. It all will tie together.

Next chapter, Fuu and Ferio have a reunion, Kagura and Takeshi get their explanation, and more…

Thanks for reading!


	3. A New Ally?

**AN: **So much encouragement from my wonderful reviewers::Candy-chan sprinkles hugs, kisses, and illegal herbs to all her amazing reviewer-type people: So here, just for you guys, is the next chapter. I'm really excited about this fic. You should see my outline, though I doubt anyone but me would be able to make any sense out of it :sweatdrop: We're in for a ride here…heehee…

I recount a lot of the series in this chapter, as Kagura and Takeshi know nothing about it. I kept it as short as possible in lieu of the explanation they get. I think it's a pretty good length. But I'm weird. So on we go! I don't own Magic Knight Rayearth. CLAMP does. I'll take Ascot, though, if they want to sell or anything…:hugs homemade Ascot voodoo doll:

_o_

_o_

_o_

**A New Ally?**

When the great powers of Cephiro had built the palace by sheer force of will in the midst of the Pillar crisis, they had done the best job possible of making the place self-sufficient. There was a large residential area, kitchens, and rooms that housed large fruit orchards.

Though they were now somewhat superfluous, with the country having returned to its normal, prosperous state, the orchards remained in the palace. And Ascot, summoner extraordinaire, had long since claimed those tree-filled rooms as his own place of solace. He and his oddly-shaped friends would retire there for moments of privacy, usually when something was troubling them.

Or rather, something was bothering Ascot, and his friends went with him to comfort and counsel to the best of their limited abilities. As was the case right now.

He leaned heavily against one of the trees and sighed. He was already regretting that he'd essentially run away from her. She probably hadn't even noticed he was gone. For lack of anywhere else to, well, hide, he'd come here. A couple of his friends were already here, and they looked at him questioningly as he came in. He waved them off and retreated to a far corner of the room.

Once there, he promptly began beating his head against a tree trunk conveniently located nearby. "Stupid, stupid, stupid…coward, coward, coward…stupid, stupid, stupid…" It was like a mantra, he repeated it over and over, believing in it wholeheartedly.

He was stupid, really. He'd tried to forget, but some things just wouldn't let themselves be forgotten. This was something that just refused to be left in the past, where it belonged. He'd almost gotten there…and then she had just walked into the room, as confident as ever.

Another thought occurred to him then, and Ascot had to fight to keep from growling.

Who in Mokona's name was that guy with her?

_o_

_o_

"Where is he?" Umi huffed, rounding a corner; she was dragging Fuu behind her. Kagura and Takeshi were darting around, following the blue-haired beauty in her mad trek around the Cephirean palace. Hikaru had disappeared with Lantis, and nobody seemed really anxious to find them or interrupt them. "Honestly, that boy…"

They were looking for Ferio. Or rather, Umi was looking for Ferio, Fuu was dragging her feet ("I'm just not sure…what if he doesn't…well…you know…"), and Kagura and Takeshi were just along for the ride. Well, Kagura desperately wanted to see this guy that had Fuu so worked up.

Finally, Fuu pulled her hand free of Umi's. "Look, I really appreciate your help, but it's fine. I'll find him myself. Don't worry about it…"

Umi shook her head. "No way! You'll just go hide somewhere!"

Takeshi sighed and clasped his hands together melodramatically; he actually got little stars in his eyes. "Aww, isn't that just the sweetest thing! Little sister's in love!" He sighed in mock-dreaminess.

Kagura slapped him lightly on the arm. "Knock it off." She rolled her eyes in a way that was far too Umi-like for anyone's comfort. "Baka…" Fuu, meanwhile, took advantage of the momentary distraction, and slipped away, leaving the three standing there in the corridor, arguing.

Now blessedly alone, she began to wander. If her guess was right, Hikaru and Lantis were probably hiding out in that one room, with the fountain and all the flowers—it seemed to be their favorite place in the palace, going by past experience—so she would stay away from there.

Instead, she headed to one of the corridors on the very edge of the castle. She meandered down the hall a little, then stopped in front of one of the windows, and stared out over the Cephirean landscape. The sun was setting, dying the sky a plethora of reds, yellows, oranges, and pinks. This felt strangely familiar…with a jolt, she realized that this was where she had stopped the last time she'd been here. The landscape visible through the window had been far, far different then, as Cephiro had been falling apart without a Pillar to support it.

But more importantly, she'd been gazing out that window when she'd met up with…

"Fuu?"

The word dropped into the silence with the force of lightning, and she whirled, already knowing who would be standing there. It was just like last time…sure enough, Ferio was watching her; he actually looked surprised, like he hadn't been at all expecting to see her there. Somehow, though, she suspected the latter. This seemed to be their meeting spot.

It was only as they stared at each other that it dawned on her just how much time had passed; granted, time was different in Cephiro, and the strength of one's will could very much affect a person's physical appearance. But he looked a little older, more adult then he had the last time she had seen him. Then again, she wasn't exactly fourteen years old anymore, either.

In the time it took for those thoughts to make it through her mind, he had moved; he was a mere arm-length away. If she just reached out…or better yet, if he did…

For another moment, there was silence, simply staring. Then, deciding to take the initiative, she offered the smallest, most tentative of smiles. And she was amply rewarded, because he returned it with an even bigger smile.

And before she knew what was happening, he did it—both arms reached out, and he closed the gap with a tight hug. Her face was buried in soft, white fabric, and two strong arms were holding her so tightly she could barely breath.

And Fuu liked it. She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged. They stayed like that for a very, very long time, or so it seemed. Not a word was spoken, but it was perfect.

_o_

_o_

"What did you say this place was called?" Kagura asked as they shut the door behind them.

The residents of the Cephirean palace had been more than gracious towards their unexpected guests, especially towards Kagura and Takeshi, their even-more unexpected guests. Everyone seemed to have expected them cheerfully on no further credentials then that the two were friends of the Magic Knights. That was enough for them.

They had each been given a room for whatever the duration of their stay ended up being. They had all been set up in the same hallway, five rooms right in a row. At the moment, the five young people from Earth, plus one fluff ball of a Creator, had congregated in the room dubbed as Takeshi's; Fuu and Hikaru had rejoined them only moments before, receiving a great amount of teasing from their friends, and one groan from Kagura, who still hadn't gotten to see Fuu's 'Mr. Wonderful.'

"This is Cephiro," Hikaru said cheerily, dropping into a convenient chair. "We can show you around the place tomorrow. I bet we can get Mokona or somebody to help out." From its perch in the Fire Knight's lap, Mokona puu-ed in agreement.

"Okay, so we've managed to escape the rampaging hordes," Takeshi remarked, plopping down onto the bed—his bed, actually. "So could we maybe get some sort of…I don't know, explanation?" The three Knights visibly froze. "You three seem quite at home here. So maybe you could share with the rest of the class what you know?

There was dead silence for a moment; even Mokona was quiet. You could have heard a pin dropped on the pillow. But finally, Fuu began. "Cephiro is a world where the power of your will and the strength of your heart controls all. If you believe enough, you can make just about anything happen. And once upon a time, this world was supported entirely by one person's heart. That person was called the Pillar." She paused and took a seat on the floor, curling her legs neatly beneath her. "The Pillar protected the land by the sheer power of her will. She kept invaders and monsters away, and made the land beautiful and happy for the inhabitants…but at the expense of her own happiness." She closed her eyes and tilted her chin downwards as she remembered. "The Pillar's heart could love Cephiro, and only Cephiro. If her heart strayed, then the land would fall into ruin. The Pillar's name was Emeraude. Princess Emeraude."

Hikaru took over, continuing easily where Fuu left off. "But should something happen, the Pillar alone had a special power. She alone could summon her champions from another world, champions to whom certain laws of Cephiro would not apply. Those chosen three warriors of legend were known as the Magic Knights. They would save the land by gaining swords of a legendary mineral called Escudo, and reviving the three Spirits known as the mashin. By wielding swords and mashin, as well as powerful elemental magic, they would protect this world." She paused. "Princess Emeraude was imprisoned by a priest, Zagato. Because she could no longer pray for the world's peace, she summoned three to become these Legendary Magic Knights." She smiled wryly at them, and gestured to herself, Fuu, and Umi, each in turn. "Those three were us."

Now it was Umi who took over, before Kagura and Takeshi could freak out too much. "Remember that day when all the schools were visiting Tokyo Tower, and there was that bright light in the sky? No one knew what it was, and to this day, it's still a mystery?" Two nods were given in answer. "Well, that was what we call the Summoning. Princess Emeraude pulled us to Cephiro by that light. We ended up here, met Guru Clef. He gave us magic and armor," she gestured to herself, as they were still wearing their armor and gem-gloves, "and then we were sent on our way without much more than a prayer. You would be amazed how little information we really got when we started out on this little quest."

Fuu took over again. "So we went on the journey, as foretold in the legend. We got the mineral Escudo from the legendary Fountain of Eterna," she paused, and shot Umi an amused look, "or should I say, the 'Weirdo' Fountain?

The blue-haired Knight shook her head, bemused. "I'm sorry, but a two-dimensional spring with illusions of my parents that try to kill me over a rock? That, to my mind, officially qualifies as weird!" She glanced at her friends. "Legendary fountain…the thing was friggin' flat!"

"Anyway," Fuu pressed on, ignoring Umi's outburst, "once we got the Escudo, we took it to Presea—the one with the long blonde hair? You met her when you met Mokona?" They nodded. "She made it into the swords we carry now." In a flash of green light, she drew her own long blade and set it on the floor beside her. "No one else can hold these swords—trust me, we tried. This is light as a feather for me, but weighs a ton to anyone else. Umi's will turn into a nice puddle. And under no circumstances should you touch Hikaru's, or it'll burst into flame, and take you with it."

"Then we headed out, wandering the landscape, taking on the occasional battle with monsters, and so on and so forth," Umi picked up again. "But Zagato was determined to stop us, so he sent some of his friends or minions or whatever you want to call them out to get us. The first was Alcyone…let's just say she had some issues." Fuu and Hikaru both nodded, but looked sympathetic at the mention of their former enemy, who had died to help them win against Debonair. "Then there was Ascot—who disappeared earlier today! Where did he go?" Umi dropped off as she began pouting a little, and the task of storytelling fell back to Hikaru.

"Ascot came around—let's just say Umi knocked some sense into him. Then there was Caldina. Yes, the same one that tackled us. She also came around. And then Lafarga, but he was under a spell, so there wasn't really an issue there." She paused. "Then there was Innouva. I wasn't quite sure what to make of him…but anyway, we got past all of them, and revived the three mashin."

"What's a mashin?" Takeshi broke in; it was the first time either of them had spoken since the story began. "You've mentioned them a couple of times. What are they?"

"Well, imagine a large robot, as tall as a skyscraper," Fuu outlined, trying to think of the way to explain that would make the most sense. "Now imagine that it's alive, and can fly and attack things." Blank stares met her words. "Why don't we just show you when—if we have to call them?" They seemed to agree to that. "Good. The mashin are Windam—he's mine. Selece is Umi's, and Rayearth is Hikaru's."

Umi took over again. "We joined with our mashin, became true Magic Knights, and then we went to fight Zagato." She stopped for a long moment, and then finished in a rush, "We beat Zagato and saved Cephiro, and then we were dropped back on Tokyo Tower. The end."

The room went quiet; the three Knights suddenly seemed to find interesting things to conduct in-depth studies of—fascinating things, like the walls, floor, and ceiling.

Before anyone could ask any questions, Fuu jumped up. "Well, it's getting late. We should probably head to bed. There's probably going to be a lot to do tomorrow!" And she and Hikaru were gone with a couple of rushed 'goodnights.'

Umi headed for the door, but she didn't make it; Kagura caught her arm. "No way, you've got a little more explaining to do, hon." The blue Knight hesitated, then seemed to give up, and she let herself be pulled back to the center of the room. "Now," Kagura released her hand, and gave her a Look, "why don't you tell us the rest of the story? I know there's more to it."

But to her surprise, Umi shook her head. "I…can't."

"What do you mean, you can't?"

"I just can't."

Kagura paused for a minute, then asked softly, "Does this have something to do with why you were so sad after that light thing?"

Umi's surprised look was all the answer she needed, and she sighed. "Come on, just tell us. I mean, how bad could it be?" This time, the silence spoke for itself.

"Please?" Takeshi added.

Another bout of quiet. Then Umi's voice, no more than a whisper, dropped into that silence. "We defeated Zagato, and went to find Emeraude. She'd appeared to us as a little girl while we were in the Fountain of Eterna, so we thought we knew what she looked like. But she'd…she'd changed. She was an adult, and she was angry." A pause; Umi had turned to face the door, so her back was to her friends, and they couldn't see her face. "We…found out that Emeraude and Zagato had been in love. But the Pillar can only love Cephiro."

"She loved the guy who kidnapped her?" Takeshi asked in confusion. "I think there's a name for that…Stockholm's Syndrome, or something like that."

"No, no," Umi shook her head slightly. "This went back to before we were summoned. When her heart strayed, it began to affect the world. She knew what was happening, so she performed the Summoning, and we came here. The Pillar can't harm herself, and no one from Cephiro can harm the Pillar. So she had to call people from another world."

She stopped. "For what?" Kagura prodded. Suddenly, she had a sinking feeling that she didn't really want to know where this was going.

Umi took a deep breath…and took the plunge. "Emeraude summoned us to kill her."

Silence, as her two friends processed this. Then Kagura laughed, nervously. "You didn't do it, though, did you?" Umi didn't answer, and the horror of realization fell like a ton of bricks. "Umi…but I thought you were supposed to save her?"

"No," Umi shook her head again. "We were asked to save Cephiro…and that's what we did. To put one life over everyone else's is just selfish. If we hadn't, she would have killed us, and then probably destroyed Cephiro and everyone in it. So yes, Kagura. We did." She walked to the door, without turning around, and opened it. "I'll let you think on it for a while. We can talk more tomorrow, if you want." And she was gone, shutting the door behind her.

Kagura and Takeshi simply stared at the door. Neither could think of a thing to say.

_o_

_o_

_I can't believe I just told them that, _Umi berated herself, pulling the blankets up to her chin and staring off into the darkness. She listened carefully, and she heard a door open and close, followed by soft footsteps padding down the hall. That was probably Kagura going to her own room.

Considering all that had happened, it was no wonder that Umi was flat-out exhausted. She had planned on laying awake for a while and thinking some things over, but her body had other plans, and her eyelids soon fell closed of their own accord. She dropped into comfortable sleep.

And Umi dreamed…

_She was hovering over Cephiro, just floating above the patchwork quilt of landscape. Right below her was a large cluster of trees that she thought was the Forest of Silence. Strangely enough, all of her friends were around her—Hikaru, Fuu, Takeshi, Kagura, and all of the residents of Cephiro's palace. She was the only one who was moving at all. It was bright, though she couldn't see any sun in the sky overhead._

_But that changed very quickly._

_Like water rushing down a slide, the darkness fell. A shadow: it started at the distant horizon, and moved with alarming speed over the entire landscape, swallowing up everything as far as she could see. It soon moved beneath her, enveloping the Forest, and kept on going. She could only watch in horror._

_And it got worse._

_The darkness reached, from the ground up to the sky. And it took her friends. Each in turn was embraced by shadow, and vanished from her sight. Her fellow Earthlings were the last to go, and Fuu's seemingly-sleeping face was the last to disappear._

"_No!" Umi screamed, reaching for her friends, but she couldn't move. She was alone, floating in a sea of darkness that had taken everything away. There was a hollow feeling her chest, the bitter sting of loss, loneliness, and desperate sadness._

_In a rush, the shadow came towards her. Though there was no movement, per se, she got the feeling of it. It was a tidal wave that would sweep her away, and she would never be able to swim back to the surface. She would just drown in it, like her friends already had._

_But something stopped it from touching her. It crashed by her, but it had divided, and half of it went past on either side of her. And right ahead was a form._

_Umi couldn't make anything out about the figure, save for that it was a human-shape, and the distinct impression that whoever it was had its back to her. That impression was confirmed when the figure moved—it turned, spinning to face her. So close…_

With a panicked yelp, Umi shot up in bed. She was drenched in a cold sweat, and her heart was racing. Her breath came in short, ragged gasps, and she was shaking violently. One trembling hand pressed itself to her forehead as she tried to force a few deep breaths into her lungs to calm herself down.

Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was strange. Like she was still dreaming…

_o_

_o_

The majority of the palace, though, wasn't asleep. Hikaru had been sitting in her room for a while, barely even tired, and finally decided to go out wandering the palace. Well, not really random walking. She actually wanted to ask Mokona—or rather, the Creator—a question.

As she walked, she thought about things—things, meaning Lantis. It had been so wonderful to see him again…but if they were fighting, then there probably wouldn't be much time for them. And the same undoubtedly went for Fuu and Ferio as well. But she wouldn't complain; her extensive optimism wouldn't let her dwell on the negatives. She was here, and he was here, and he'd missed her as badly as she had missed him. It would work out, somehow…but right now, Mokona.

Sure enough, the fluffy white deity was right where her instincts had told her he would be: in the Throne Room. That seemed to be the central meeting spot in the palace; Mokona was sitting on the throne. But when Hikaru walked in, the forehead jewel flared to yellow, and wings sprouted from his back. He waited until she approached, and then spoke, "You have questions." It was a statement, not a query.

"I do," Hikaru lowered herself to her knees and folded her hands in her lap; she'd matured quite a bit over the years, and it showed—when it had to. "Were you the one that brought us here?"

"I was," the Creator confirmed what they had already suspected. "And your friends as well. It is safer for you to be here, where we can watch you, rather than have you out in the open for them. Your friends were brought for the same reason—their own protection. I will not have innocent blood spilled when it is possible to avoid it."

Hikaru nodded. "I understand. Thank you. But who sent that thing after us? Why do they want the Magic Knights? Why would they be desperate enough to attack us on Earth?"

To her disappointment, the Creator shook his head—in a manner of speaking. "I cannot tell you that. But this power seeks to take not only Cephiro and our neighbors and allies, but also other worlds as well, such as your world, Earth. He is ruthless, and powerful. You must be prepared."

_He?_ Hikaru wondered, but didn't press the issue. There wasn't really time to press the issue, actually, because at that moment, the Creator's wings vanished, and the forehead jewel changed back to pink. The Creator went back to Mokona, and bounced into Hikaru's arms.

"I guess we'll just have to find things out as we go, huh?" Hikaru asked. "Just like last time?"

"Puu!" Mokona nodded agreement.

"Okay, okay," she laughed. "But I'm still not tired. I wonder if anyone else is up…"

She remembered Clef saying in passing that he was going to be in his study for a while. Maybe she could go talk with him for a while, if he was still awake. As she drew near, she saw light under the door, and heard voices inside; obviously, there was a meeting going on within.

"Hikaru!" Fuu's voice made the redhead stop and turn around. Sure enough, it was the Wind Knight, with Caldina and Ascot in tow. "You can't sleep either? I guess everybody's got insomnia tonight. I ran into these two in the hall."

"Well, let's see if we can crash the meeting in there," Hikaru giggled, and knocked on the door. Clef's voice called for them to come in, so they went in. Clef seemed to be keeping counsel with Lantis, Lafarga, Ferio, and Presea, but they didn't seem to mind the intrusion, though the room suddenly became quite crowded.

"So what's the meeting about?" Hikaru squeezed into a seat between Lantis and Presea.

"We're talking about you," Ferio grinned.

"I figured as much," Fuu sighed.

And the conversation continued in that vein for a while—basically, exactly what she had asked the Creator about such a short time before: what could be coming that was enough of a threat that the Magic Knights would be summoned again.

They had all been sitting there for a while when it happened.

The door opened soundlessly, with only the click of the latch releasing to signal and alert. It only opened a crack, just a wide enough space for someone to step through. And step through, someone did.

Namely, Umi. Who was holding a bright blue robe closed over her nightgown; her chin was down so far that her hair hung down in front of her, happily obscuring her face.

"Umi, what's wrong?" Fuu asked automatically, rising from her chair. Though she often tended towards the flamboyant, Ryuuzaki Umi was actually a fairly modest person. So the fact that she was standing there in her nightclothes, coupled with her slumped-over posture, seemed a fairly obvious signal that something was wrong.

And something was wrong. Just not in the way that Fuu had originally thought. That much became quite painfully clear when she lifted her head and opened her eyes. Everyone in the room jumped back automatically; hands instinctively went to weapons, magic unconsciously readied itself, and muscles involuntarily tightened into battle readiness.

Umi's eyes were glowing, a soft blue; there were no whites, irises, or pupils visible. Only that eerie glow. And when she opened those eyes, revealing that frightful sight, her hair and clothes began to float around her, as though moved by a breeze that only affected her. Between her eyes and her hair, hovering around her like tendrils of a spider's broken web, she was downright frightening.

And perhaps the creepiest thing of all: she was smiling. Not the trademark, confident smirk that was so well acquainted with Umi's face, but a sly, almost amused little grin. It was quite certain: whoever was watching them from behind Umi's eyes was _not_ Umi.

Lafarga seemed to recover first; his hand was one that had automatically gone to his sword, and now that selfsame hand gripped the hilt and drew it. Without waiting for anything else to happen, he lunged forward and pointed the tip of his blade at her. "Who are you?" he growled, ignoring the cries of protest behind him. "What have you done with her?"

To his further astonishment, as well as everyone else's, she giggled. _Giggled! _The fingers on one hand touched her mouth, as though trying to stifle the laugh a little. Then she held that hand out, the oversized sleeves of the robe billowing in the unfelt wind—and water appeared at her fingertips.

The swordsman was too stunned to react, and as a result, found himself propelled backwards by a small torrent of water, fired right into the chest plate of his armor. The crowd parted instinctively as he flew by and landed hard on the floor. Caldina was at his side in a heartbeat, screaming bloody murder. The rest of the room seemed stirred to action by this, and more weapons were drawn. Only the other two Magic Knights, Hikaru and Fuu, seemed indecisive, though they were right at the front lines, as it were.

"Wait," Fuu held out a hand, signaling for the others to hold. Ferio took a step forward, and she wheeled on him, eyes blazing. "Just wait! If you attack whoever's in there, you'll hurt Umi!"

And just to add surprises on surprises, the girl in blue spoke; though the words came from Umi's throat, and it was, indeed, Umi's voice…it wasn't. It was different—it was more hollow, and seemed to echo, like whoever was really speaking was shouting down a long tunnel to reach them.

"Very good," she said, giggling again. "I'd been told you were bright, Fuu. I'm impressed." Fuu looked suitably taken aback, and 'Umi' continued, "If you try to attack me, you will only succeed in harming Umi, and I know you don't want that. So please relax, and listen."

"Relax?" Caldina squeaked from her place at Lafarga's side; he was more dazed and startled than actually injured. "That's our friend! Leave her alone!"

"I'm sorry, but I can't," the blue girl replied. Was it just Fuu, or did she actually _sound_ sorry? "The Magic Knights have returned to Cephiro for a reason, as I'm sure you've already realized. I am here to make sure that Fate is not deterred."

The Chizetan dancer gestured violently with her fan. "Get away from her! Who the hell are you?"

"A friend," 'Umi' said softly. "I don't expect you believe me or trust me. But I need you to know that I am here, and I am watching over all of you. Please, be careful. I will do my best for all of you, but you must be on your guard for what lies ahead. Wait, and watch carefully. I promise you, I'm on your side in what is to come. Trust in that."

"Wait!" Clef shouted—he sounded angry—but there was no time. Starting from the ground at her feet, a swirl of water, like a tornado, spiraled around her up to the ceiling, and vanished. The mysterious breeze that had moved Umi's hair and clothes vanished, and they settled around her as was normal. Her eyes closed—and opened.

Back to normal, only three sizes larger in shock.

"Where am I?" she whispered, truly Umi's voice now. Then she simply dropped to a heap on the floor, without pretense or warning, a dead faint. She did not move. And for what seemed an eternity, neither did the room around her. Then everyone seemed to spur into motion at the same moment. Most of them exploded into an agitated babble, while Fuu and Hikaru dashed to her side; Hikaru lifted Umi's head, and gave her a slight shake, trying to stir her back to wakefulness.

Suddenly, Umi sat straight up and let out a little shriek. Her eyes, blessedly normal, were as wide as saucers, as they looked around in semi-panic. "How…how did I get here?" She looked down, seemed to realize that she was in her nightclothes, and promptly wrapped her robe a little more tightly around herself. "What the hell happened?"

Fuu and Hikaru looked at each other; then Fuu spoke. "You…don't remember?"

Blue eyes flared. "Remember what?" Another look passed between her comrades, and Umi shook her head in exasperation. "You know what? Tell me tomorrow." She rose to her feet, still holding the robe closed. "I'm exhausted, and I just want to go collapse. Okay? Okay." She headed for the door, with Fuu and Hikaru darting after her, still panicked.

The crowd she left behind in that room, meanwhile, dispersed slowly. They broke off mostly in twos, whispering about whatever the hell had just happened. Finally, it was back to Lantis and Clef. The sorcerer and the swordsman looked at each other blankly, and finally, it was Lantis who asked the question that was on everybody's mind at that moment: "What the HELL was that?"

Clef simply shook his head. "I—I don't know…"

And the conversation pretty much died there.

_o_

_o_

The next morning was bright, sunny—almost disgustingly cheerful. That selfsame sun cast spots of light on the floor, and across Umi's sleeping face. She winced in her slumber, and rolled over in a valiant effort to get the sun out of her eyes, but it proved in vain. Finally, she opened her eyes, sat up, and sighed. She hated getting up early.

Plus, she was actually still worn out. Something told her she hadn't slept too well the night before. Added to the fact that she had somehow ended up in Clef's study without knowing how she had gotten there, it was plainly obvious that something must have happened the night before, but what?

Oh well, if it was important, she would probably hear about it first thing.

She rose and dressed quickly. It was the same monochromatic outfit she had been wearing for the night on the town that wasn't. But the black garments were fresh, and seemed to have been cleaned during the night without her knowing. Not that she complained; Umi hated feeling dirty. She grabbed her gem-glove and donned her armor, more out of habit than anything else.

Thus adorned, she headed out into the hall—and promptly bumped into Fuu, who had apparently been about to knock on her door. Hikaru, Kagura, and Takeshi were right behind her.

"Good morning," Umi said cheerily, righting herself. "What's on our agenda for today?"

Fuu seemed awful surprised about something, but simply said, "Well, I thought maybe it would be a nice thing to show everyone around Cephiro. Plus, it's been a while since we've seen everything here. I thought we'd maybe ask Mokona for a flying craft."

As if on cue, the little marshmallow-rabbit bounced down the hall and hopped onto Fuu's shoulder, cheerfully puu-ing that it was indeed a good idea. And so they went; they bumped into Lafarga in the hall, and asked him to relay to everyone else where they were.

And they were off in what Takeshi said looked like 'a giant flying soup bowl.'

They zipped around through the skies of Cephiro. Umi, Fuu, and Hikaru pointed out several major landmarks—at least, for them. They managed to find the cliff that they had first been dropped on during their first visit; they pointed out the Forest of Silence, the Fountain of Eterna, and the three Shrines in which the mashin had been sleeping.

"Unbelievable," Takeshi remarked, leaning over the edge to get a better look. "Absolutely incredible. You guys went through this whole place?"

"Yup!" Hikaru chirped.

"But didn't you say there were monsters here?" Kagura asked.

"Yes, sometimes, but—" Fuu tried to reply, but the flying craft suddenly rocked violently, and there was a loud explosion. Everyone grappled for something to hold onto, so they wouldn't fall off.

"I think we need to land this thing!" Umi screamed, looking at Mokona.

"Puu!" was the answer—and they went into a tailspin, a straight downward rush. Everyone screeched their heads off, until the craft righted itself at the very last second, leaving them hovering about three feet above the ground.

"Thank you for flying Fluff ball Airlines," Umi murmured dizzily, crawling down onto the blessedly solid ground. "Please double check for any personal belongings, and don't forget to tip your waitress…" She shook her head and seemed to steady herself. "Okay, what was that?"

In apparent response, there were a few howls from nearby, and a series of thundering noises that Fuu assumed were footsteps. She was proven right, as three enormous beasts came stomping into view. Tall and hideous, with red-brown scales, long tails, and claws and teeth that were obviously suited to rending apart helpless victims.

There was a flash of red light as Hikaru drew her Escudo sword. "I guess we're gonna get some practice now." The sunlight shone off her red glove-gem, and she grinned.

Umi whirled, drawing her own sword as well. "Get back on that thing. Mokona, get them out of here. If it gets bad, take them back to the palace and tell everyone we're doomed."

"WHAT?" Kagura screeched, but the flying-craft was already moving back into the sky.

The three clutched their swords, and waited for the beasts to make the first move.

And they did—one of them opened its mouth, and fire shot from its throat right at them.

"Mine. Let's see if I still got it," Umi hissed. She raised one hand, and a stream of water followed the gem, spinning around her. "MIZO NO RYUU!" The attack flew from her hand, and neatly hit its mark; fire fell before water. Umi smirked. "Yup, still got it."

And with that, the short-lived fight was joined. It was fairly obvious that these were not the smartest of creatures, nor were they the strongest. On the bright side, it was a great chance to stretch their legs, magically speaking. After all, it had been a while.

"AKAI INAZUMA!" Hikaru screamed, firing. The lightning hit its mark, and the first monster was engulfed by something similar to electricity, and fell.

Fuu raised her hands. "MIDORI NO SHIPPU!" Wind wasn't normally something that could do a lot of damage, but Fuu made it work. While the monster was stunned, she attacked with her sword. The long blade made extremely short work of her opponent. Two down, one to go.

And the one remaining Umi had claimed. She dodged a swipe of claws, and attacked. "AOI TATSUMAKI!" There was a howl of pain as the final monster was engulfed by what looked like an azure tornado of sorts. Three down. Point to the Magic Knights.

The flying craft came back to hover just over the ground. The two non-magical Earthlings were gripping the edges, eyes frozen wide in shock and, most likely, horror. Finally, Takeshi seemed to shake himself out of it enough to simply say, "And I thought the monsters under my bed were bad…"

_o_

_o_

"That was…interesting," Takeshi muttered, running a hand through his dark hair.

"No kidding. I thought those things were gonna eat us!" Kagura was decidedly less calm, and was waving her arms all over the place as she spoke. It hadn't been very long since they had returned to the Cephirean palace. The three Magic Knights had taken off to report the attack—yet another of the 'disturbances' Clef had mentioned upon their return. The two other Earthlings had been left to their own devices, told they could go ahead and explore the castle to their heart's content; Umi and the others would catch up with them later.

So that's what they were doing—wandering around, checking out the place. It seemed even bigger on the inside then it did from the outside. It made one wonder exactly how the others would find them, but oh well, they probably had their ways. Somehow.

This was such a strange, foreign place to them. They had stopped a couple times, and glanced out a window; this world was so different from anything they had ever seen before. It definitely wasn't Tokyo, that was for sure.

"Hey, what's in here?" Takeshi asked, pointing at an open door.

The room that lay beyond looked like a forest. There were trees and plants everywhere, with splashes of brightly colored flowers and fruits amidst every shade of green imaginable. The floor actually looked like grass. It was truly breathtaking.

"Wow…" she breathed, walking in.

"You could probably go camping in here," Takeshi commented, reaching up to touch one of the trees; the leaves were smooth, almost waxy in texture. "But I don't think you could light a campfire."

Skipping ahead, Kagura bent over a bush with brilliant crimson flowers blooming on it. "They're so pretty!" Straightening, she heard a noise behind her; she turned and looked up.

A large, beaked creature with wings looked back.

For a minute, there was dead silence. Then, all hell broke loose.

"OHMIGOD!" Kagura shrieked; she didn't notice it, as she had turned to run, but the monster actually cringed, and seemed to be trying to get away from her. "RUN! THEY'RE HERE TOO!"

"Wait! No! It's okay!" a male voice tried to protest over the racket, but the room was in an uproar, between Kagura screaming, Takeshi and whoever else was there shouting, and monsters growling and stomping around.

There was a clatter as three Magic Knights flew into the room, swords drawn and in hand. Kagura spotted them first, and dove behind Umi for protection. "KILL IT, KILL IT!"

"Wait!"

Suddenly, the monsters seemed to calm down, but they were watching Kagura carefully.

Umi looked around the room, then suddenly started to laugh. Kagura, however, didn't seem to find it very funny. "What? What are you laughing about?"

Needless to say, she was absolutely floored when Umi walked over, reached up, and patted one of the monsters on the beak. "Hey, it's been a while! How have you been?" The Blue Knight glanced over her shoulder and grinned. "That's Kagura. I'm sure she didn't mean to startle you. She's new here."

And the monster actually nodded.

"Uhhh…"

Umi whirled at the unintelligible sound, and her eyes lit up. "Ascot!" She dove forward and threw her arms around his waist in a tight hug. Ascot responded by going straight to the verge of spontaneous combustion, judging by the color of his face alone. When she let him go, he straightened, and seemed to be trying to pull himself together.

Kagura, who had calmed considerably, noticed, and raised an eyebrow. Well, now, wasn't this just the most interesting thing…

Introductions went around, and Umi admonished her summoner friend for ditching out on the Welcome Wagon the night before. And Kagura actually worked up the nerve to pat that one monster on the beak. So all was well in Cephiro.

_o_

_o_

She was laughing. She had such a musical laugh.

He studied her face. Bright blue eyes, hair like silk…she was a truly gorgeous creature.

Then again…_she_ had been beautiful, too. And beauty was but one face of treachery.

He smiled. This one would not escape.

_o_

_o_

_o_

**AN: **Wee-hee! Another chapter completed! I'm really getting into this story. It's a lot of fun to write, and it's going to become more so as we really get into stuff. This chapter was, once again, more settling and moving things into place. And as always, there is still more to come. Thanks for reading, double thanks for reviewing! Laters!


	4. What Dreams May Come

**AN: **Hullo, everybody! Wow, I love all my stupendous reviewers! You guys are awesome, yo! And in honor of all you wonderful people, I'm going to have an 'answer the reviewer' session at the end of this chapter, just to thank everyone for all your support. I love you guys! takes a deep breath Okay, we're moving on, and bringing back a couple of very important characters in the process!

I know things are going kind of slowly thus far. I have a tendency to jump headfirst into things with my fics, and I'm trying to make this one a little more in-depth. So I'm kind of taking my time, moving people into position, trying to create some tension (hopefully I'm succeeding). So on we go, continuing to add little pieces to the puzzle. I don't own Magic Knight Rayearth. It is the property of the manga goddesses CLAMP. All original characters, however, are mine! All mine!

_o_

_o_

_o_

**What Dreams May Come**

Something was wrong. Flat out, no other way to say it.

Umi had sensed it the moment she had walked into the room. Caldina and Presea had been talking, a whispered conversation that hushed when she entered. That had been the first tipoff. Then Caldina had launched at her and hugged her with convincing cheerfulness—but Umi knew her Chizetan friend well enough to know when the dancer was lying. Presea feigned smile hadn't helped either.

There was the distinct sense that they were skirting around some issue, but she couldn't quite figure out what. And the tension in the room was so thick and heavy that Umi was certain she could have taken out her sword, sliced through it, and served it on bread with some jelly and a side of potatoes.

The Water Knight listened as Caldina and Presea buzzed with conversation about random topics, jumping from subject to subject, like frogs leaping between lily pads on a pond. She made the appropriate responses when questioned, but otherwise, didn't say much.

Finally, Presea stopped. "Umi, you're being unusually quiet."

She hesitated, then decided to bite the bullet and go for it. "And you're being unusually secretive. You're not telling me something, guys. Am I right?"

Silence.

Translation: _Bingo._

"Would you mind telling me what is going on?" Umi asked, with far more patience then she actually felt. She folded her arms across her chest and sighed. "Come on, what's the big secret, and why doesn't anyone want to tell me?"

Presea suddenly seemed very interested in her gloves; Caldina was staring at her shoes as though they held the answer to life itself, which Umi sincerely doubted.

"Guys!" the blue-haired beauty sighed. She wasn't angry—yet—but it was quite exasperating, especially when it was fairly obvious that whatever was going on somehow concerned her. "Please?"

Finally, Presea took a deep breath, and said, "You really don't remember any of it, do you?"

Umi was taken aback. "Remember any of what?"

It took a surprisingly short amount of time to recount the events of the previous evening: Umi's apparent possession by an unknown perpetrator, using her magic to hold back Lafarga's attack, and the strange voice, uttering such strange words, springing from her own throat. She had collapsed, and awakened, seemingly remembering none of it, but definitely back to her normal, feisty self.

As the story rolled to a close, ending with her retreat to her room, Umi was left frozen in an open-mouthed gape. Shock and horror flitted across her face, alternating in rapid succession. Her hands had dropped to her sides, and hung there limply, as though forgotten.

For a long moment, she couldn't quite get herself to speak. Slowly, the words returned to her, and she whispered, "I was…" She shook her head in disbelief. "I didn't hurt anyone, though, did I?"

"No. Lafarga's okay," Caldina said, surprisingly cheerful. "I think ya just hurt his pride."

"But…oh my God…" Umi stumbled back and headed for the door. "I—I need to talk to someone. I don't know who…maybe I'll ask Clef, maybe he'll have some idea, what the hell happened to me. Bye, guys, I'll talk to you later!" And she stumbled out the door, closing it behind her.

In the hallway, she decided to go with her first instinct, and headed for Clef's study. That was the scene of the previous night's outburst, and the thought made her a bit uneasy, but she resolved to get some answers, and set that as her destination.

She was halfway there when it hit.

One moment, she was fine.

The next, she felt like someone had kicked her in the stomach and then stabbed her between the eyes. She doubled over, one hand on the wall to keep her from falling. She gasped for air as unfamiliar images danced before her eyes, playing out like a movie.

_Two figures stood; she could make out that one was a man and the other was a woman, but their features were obscured into shadow by the sun setting behind them. They were talking, and she had the distinct impression that they were arguing. But she heard no words—there was only a strange buzzing sound that echoed in her ears and made her head hurt._

_As she continued to watch, they continued to argue. Hands gestured violently, and the buzzing grew louder. Finally, the man turned and stormed away. The woman remained still for a moment, then took two steps in the direction he had just gone; one hand reached out, as though she was trying to catch him, even though he was now too far away. The woman's hand dropped, and her entire body seemed to hunch over. Umi had the strange sense that this unknown woman was crying._

_There was a flash of light, and the noise in Umi's ears exploded. Another image danced in front of her for but a brief moment. Swords clashed, and voices shouted. There were the cries of the dying, and the smell of the dead. This was not a mere battle—this was a war. But everything was in black and white, save for one person. A woman._

_Umi didn't even have time to get a good look at her. The only thing she saw was a shock of red hair. And then the light overtook her._

With a shock, Umi's eyes snapped open. She was still leaning over, keeping one hand pressed on the wall. But she felt perfectly normal. The pain in her head was gone, and she could breathe normally.

But someone had noticed her plight. "Umi?"

She straightened and whirled a little too fast, and her head swam, but she righted herself. Quickly, she put on her most convincing smile. "Oh, Ascot! Hello!"

"Are you okay?" he asked. He was blushing a little for some reason.

"Oh, fine, fine," she waved a hand and laughed. "Just got a little dizzy, that's all. Maybe I didn't get enough sleep. I think I'll go take a nap now. I—I'll talk to you later!" Without giving him a chance to respond, she darted past him and ran. She didn't see that he watched her retreating back until she turned a corner and was out of sight. And she didn't see the strange look on his face.

Umi finally slowed to a walk, then a stop. In her rush to avoid any further awkward questions, she had completely forgotten about her resolve to go ask Clef his opinion on what had happened to her. Unfortunately, another strange happening had distracted her.

She shook her head. She needed to clear her thoughts and calm down. Maybe that nap was a good idea after all. Giving in to that idea, she headed back towards her room and privacy. She would sleep for an hour or so, and then seek Clef out.

She pondered on whether or not she would mention the strange vision she'd had, then decided to keep it to herself for the moment. What if he thought she was crazy? That question gave way to a far more worrisome one: what if she _was_ crazy?

Umi shook the idea away and continued on her way to her room. She was so absorbed in her own thoughts that she didn't notice a watcher, observing her from around the corner.

_o_

_o_

"Ferio!"

The Prince stumbled forward as something—or rather, someone—jumped onto his back and threw arms around his waist. He righted himself quickly, and looked over his shoulder. Sure enough, he saw blonde hair, sparkling green eyes, and a big smile.

She released him and bounced up next to him. He chuckled to himself that she was almost acting like Hikaru. Perhaps the little Fire Knight's eternal enthusiasm had rubbed off on her friends. It was actually kind of amusing to see Fuu so excited. But then another thought occurred to him, and he sobered a bit, though he refused to let her see it right away.

"Ferio?" her voice cut into his thoughts. "Is something wrong?"

For a moment, the words were right there to tell her the truth…but he couldn't get them past his lips. They died on his tongue, and were replaced by a simple, "No, everything's fine!" Feeling daring, he added, "Because you're here now."

Success. She flushed a bright crimson, and waved a hand, like she could brush the compliment away. Then she grinned. "I was going to go for a walk in the gardens. Care to join me?"

Glad for the chance to spend time with her, he agreed wholeheartedly, and they made a beeline for the palace gardens, which were in the fullest bloom. Not even bothering with subtlety anymore, Ferio grabbed her hand and ran ahead, pulling her behind him. "Come on, hurry up!"

She laughed and quickened her own pace.

They wandered, hand in hand, chatting about this and that. But Fuu couldn't shake the impression that there was something he wanted to tell her. He'd wanted to say something earlier, but hadn't—she was certain of that. But what could it be?

Just as she was going to ask him point-blank, something caught her eye: a flash of something in a nearby bush. It rustled the leaves as it moved. She jumped. "What was that?" Her hand unconsciously slid towards the jewel in her glove, prepared to draw her sword in a heartbeat.

He glanced around. "What was what?"

She didn't respond right away, but listened and waited. She heard nothing else, and saw nothing else. Confused and a little embarrassed, she relaxed. "I thought I saw something." _I was sure I saw something…_ she thought, and for the remainder of their walk, she mulled over it. She was so intent on the matter that she forgot to ask Ferio what it was he wanted to tell her.

_o_

_o_

The room with the fountain, the birds, and all the flowers was definitely Hikaru's favorite place in the palace. Conveniently enough, it was Lantis' as well, so the two had no trouble spending hours in there, simply enjoying the beauty of the place, as well as each other's company.

They had been spending a good deal of time together, making up for lost time. But sometimes, they would simply sit in silence, neither saying a word, but just enjoying the sound of birds calling and the simple joy of being together again.

The others knew of their fondness for this place, and so they were not disturbed unless it was important. And they liked it that way.

So when Hikaru looked over and thought she saw someone standing beside one of the flowered bushes, she was surprised. Especially when she blinked and there was nothing there. Even more so when it occurred to her that in the nanosecond she'd seen that person, she hadn't recognized him or her.

"Did you see that?" she asked, tugging on Lantis' arm to get his attention.

"See what?"

"…that's a no?"

_o_

_o_

The crashes rocked the palace down to its foundations, but Kagura and Takeshi managed to stumble to the hall where everyone usually gathered. It was one of the few places in the palace that they were able to find with relative ease.

When they arrived, the others were already assembled, sans Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu.

"There's an attack in progress," Clef answered the question before they could even ask it. "The Magic Knights said they would handle it. You may watch, if you like." Sure enough, the fight was visible in a strange globe that was floating in the center of the room. Everyone was standing in a vague circle around it, watching raptly as the Magic Knights floored their opponents, by magic and by the sword.

On the field, Umi destroyed another creature with a slash of her sword. She then watched as several of them bounded away. "Oh no, you don't…" she muttered, and gave chase. She heard Hikaru and Fuu also making their way in the same direction. They all but rammed into each other in pursuit of their enemy, and the chase began anew.

They stumbled into a clearing—and stopped.

There were about twenty of the monsters they had been fighting. All identical—about seven feet tall, with long, shaggy brown fur—and all staring at them as a dog would stare as a particularly juicy steak. Suddenly, they were all a little nervous. And they became even more nervous as they realized that they had been lead a pretty good distance away from the palace. Was it a trap?

As if someone had heard their unspoken question and decided to answer it, the creatures in front of them began to change. They all seemed to melt into large brown blobs. And the blobs all melted together—and grew. In a few short seconds, the three Magic Knights were staring up at one large monster, one that was taller than the trees, and easily big enough to stomp them with little effort.

"Oh…my…God…" Fuu murmured, eyes wide, as she unconsciously took a few steps back. Her hands tightened around the hilt of her long-bladed sword. Every muscle and nerve was on fullest alert, prepared to dodge anything. But there was nowhere to go…

The creature raised its foot, and stomped the ground.

But the Magic Knights escaped, in a way that hadn't even crossed anyone's minds.

Those in the palace, watching the fight from afar, saw the three girls change into three beams of light—one red, one green, and one blue. They then promptly vanished.

Fuu had closed her eyes in anticipation of pain and imminent death, but opened them when a deep voice invaded her thoughts. "It has been a long time."

She looked down, and realized that instead of her skirt and top, she was wearing the green caped ensemble, reserved for mashin travel. And sure enough, her surroundings were… "Windam!" she cried.

Nearby, there were similar exclamations of surprise and happiness as Rayearth and Selece were also reunited with their respective Knights. Now armed with their mashin, the battle began anew, and in very short order, the creature fell. It wasn't even a challenge.

The mashin deposited them back at the palace with a promise that they would join together again soon, and left. They were back in their street clothes, as usual.

Footsteps thudded towards them, and they turned to see Kagura and Takeshi charging towards them. Kagura grabbed Umi's shoulders and gave her a good shake. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?"

Fuu stepped in. "Remember when I told you about the mashin? The beings we had to awaken to become true Magic Knights?" Kagura nodded. "That was them."

"…oh…" Kagura loosened her grip on Umi and stepped back, shaking her head. "I swear…I think you guys are taking years off my life, you know that?"

"That was insane!" Takeshi muttered, and Umi laughed at him as the rest joined them.

_o_

_o_

In all the fuss, no one noticed a silhouette at the window of one of the palace towers.

"Impressive." The watcher reclined comfortably against the window frame. "Very impressive."

"It's not enough," a new voice added.

"Of course."

"Time is almost up. We must hurry."

"I told you to leave it to me."

"I'm trusting you. We're all trusting you. You know what happens if you mess this up."

"Of course I know. I'll do it."

"Are you sure you don't want some help? I mean—"

"I said I would do it, and I will do it!"

"I'm just trying to help you."

"I know. But I don't need help."

"All right. You know the rules."

"Hurry. Remember what's at stake."

"I understand."

_o_

_o_

Maybe taking a nap that afternoon hadn't been the brightest idea she'd ever had, because now Umi was wide awake, and staring at the ceiling, wishing desperately that she could just fall asleep. But alas, sleep just did not come.

Instead, she let her mind wander. And it naturally went to the subject she most wanted to avoid thinking about—namely, the strange dreams and visions that had been plaguing her since her return to Cephiro. She hadn't told anyone about them yet, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to.

She felt stupid for not just going and telling everyone about them. She'd learned the value of foreshadowing dreams from Hikaru, when Debonair and Nova had used such a tactic to terrorize the Knight of Fire during their bid for power in Cephiro. She needed to tell them the truth…it's just that it all sounded so crazy even to her ears…

Maybe it was just stress. Getting pulled back into this magical world wasn't exactly easy on one's nerves, and having to deal with the possibility of a new threat, plus Kagura and Takeshi's constant questions, plus fighting whenever attacks happened to pop up, plus these strange dreams and visions…it was enough to make anyone crack. Probably just stress. Finals were coming up, and everyone was starting to feel the heat.

She gave herself a little shake to snap out of it, and resolved to tell them as soon as possible. If it was nothing, then it was nothing. But right now, sleep! Sleep was the priority.

She closed her eyes and lay still, letting her mind run rampant until finally, finally, she tumbled into unconsciousness. But she was horrified when she dreamed again…

_It was the same. Floating over Cephiro, while her friends hovered around her. But she realized that things were already a little different. While she was still in her street clothes, this time she had her armor on—the one-shouldered bit that Clef had given them—and her sword was in her hand._

_The shadow swallowed the landscape, as before, and her friends. She cried out and reached for them, but couldn't save them. But this time, in the shadow, she saw eyes. They appeared in the shadow, bright red, and watching her with sadistic amusement at her pain over her friends' disappearance. The tidal wave of darkness swept towards her again, and the figure appeared to save her once again. But her savior was clearer this time. She was positive that it was a female. Tall, with long hair. She could actually see that her hair was dark, but what color, she couldn't make out. It was the strangest sensation._

_And as before, her protector turned. But she couldn't see the face. She reached out towards the one who was saving her…_

And woke up.

Umi was drenched in a cold sweat, and she couldn't move. She wanted to sit up, but her body wouldn't obey her. She couldn't move. It was so frightening…so very frightening…

"Shh…" a soft voice said beside her. A hand rested on her forehead gently. Her fear disappeared at the contact, and a moment later, that featherlike touch had lulled her back to sleep.

She did not dream again.

_o_

_o_

"I'm glad all of you are here," Guru Clef said as the Magic Knights, plus Kagura and Takeshi, joined their Cephirean friends in the throne room. "I have an announcement to make."

Everyone listened intently.

"Tomorrow, the ambassadors of Aldarba will be arriving to settle some diplomatic matters," Clef said loudly enough for everyone to hear. "For the benefit of our guests, Aldarba is another of our neighboring countries. They had no need of the Pillar system, which is why you didn't meet them during your last stay here." That was directed towards the five Earthlings. "We simply ask for everyone to be on their best behavior."

There was a small outburst at that.

"What are we, kids?"

"We know how to behave."

"I think he's talking about you, Caldina."

"Whaddya mean, he's talkin' about me?"

Clef just smiled, and Umi had the distinct impression that he had just made a joke.

But a diplomatic visit, she wondered. What kind of matters could they be discussing? She, along with her fellow Magic Knights, failed to notice that the room had suddenly become very, very tense.

_o_

_o_

_o_

**AN:** Confused yet? If not, then I'm not doing my job. Kidding, of course.

I love to hear people's guesses and whatnot, so if you think you know what's coming, tell me. Trust me, I have one ENORMOUS twist planned for this story, and I don't think anyone is going to see it coming, but it's not coming for a while. The pieces will continue to fall into place—I outlined this very, very carefully for that reason. There's a lot going on, as you can tell :sweatdrops: Everything will be explained in the end. It's a guarantee.

But hey, I brought the mashin back into this! Yay! I want to see if I can have some fun with them, give them a little more character than they really have in the anime. I think Selece is going to be really sarcastic or something like that :grins:

Whew! Well, I hope you'll all stop by again for chapter five, which will hopefully be up a little bit sooner. The next chapter will be comparatively short, as the last pieces are moved into place for the big stuff. And then we get to the reeeeeeally fun stuff.

Ciao!


	5. The Ambassador's Arrival

**AN: **I promised to post this faster than I posted the last one, and lo and behold, here it is! I believe I also made a note that this is a comparatively short chapter, and I do apologize for that, but I promise you that the next chapter will more than make up for it. The last pieces move into place here, and the real fun can begin. :Candy-chan does happy dances: I'm so excited!

Anyhoo, let's get going! I don't own MKR—but I do own my original characters. And I love them!

_o_

_o_

_o_

**The Ambassador's Arrival**

The ceiling was not particularly interesting, Umi realized very quickly. Too bad. There wasn't really much else for her to look at. She'd already examined and half-memorized everything else in the room—the ornate mirror, the drapes, everything.

Her thoughts were the same as they had been for the past several days now. She was wondering about her dreams, and their meaning.

Experience had taught her not to simply dismiss things out of hand. Given that this particular nightmare had repeated itself over and over, growing clearer with each repetition, she figured she could safely assume that it was a warning. A foreshadowing dream, perhaps?

She closed her eyes, choosing to dive into the darkness behind her eyelids. Whose face appeared in the shadow that swallowed her friends? And who was the one who stood in front of her, protecting her and only her? And why did that person only protect her?

She needed to tell Clef about it, she decided. Granted, he might not be able to do a damn thing about it, or provide any sort of explanation. But there was just the off-chance…

Oh, this was hopeless.

A knock on the door made her jump. "Come in!"

The door opened soundlessly, and a curly brown head popped in. "Are you busy?"

Umi shook her head and sat up, crossing her legs comfortably. "Nope."

Kagura inched in and pushed the door closed, then moved across the room and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Hey, I wanted to ask you something. We've been here for a few days now, right? Well…won't anyone notice that we're missing? I mean, we haven't been in class or called our parents, and nobody will have seen us in the dorms either. What if they call the police or something?" She almost looked frantic. "And then we all come home, and they want an explanation…how do we explain this?"

To her surprise, Umi actually chuckled. "I had those exact same thoughts the first time we came her. But we very quickly discovered something interesting. I found this out when I somehow was zapped back onto Tokyo Tower. Everyone was frozen in place, right where they'd been when we had left."

"What?"

"Time moves differently here," Umi explained as one hand absently combed through her hair. "I told you what happened when we came here the first time, right? Well, all that happened to us in the few seconds it took for that flash of light to disappear. So while we were here for what felt like months to us, on Earth it was just a couple seconds."

Kagura shook her head. "That makes so little sense, I can _almost_ understand it."

"I don't understand it, I don't pretend to, and I don't try to," the Water Knight said wryly.

"So what is this place, exactly? I know it's another world, but what is it?" Kagura threaded her fingers together and stretched them over her head as she asked. "Are we in another dimension or what?"

Umi shrugged. "Don't know."

Chocolate-colored eyes narrowed, and one dark brown eyebrow arched in amusement. "You're just a bloody well of information, aren't you?"

"I'll tell you anything I know. You're just asking the wrong questions."

"Oh, sure, just blame it all on me!"

"Okay, if you insist." Longstanding friendship made little bickers like this far more fun then they otherwise could or would have been.

"Okay, Umi, let's see if you know the answer to this one," Kagura said thoughtfully. "Something I've been wondering about since day one. You said something about will being power here. Could you explain that a little more, pretty please?"

"That one, I know!" Umi nodded. "In Cephiro, the strong will can be the greatest weapon of all. Better than one of Presea's weapons, and more powerful than magic. If your heart is strong enough, you can accomplish almost anything. However, there are downsides to a world controlled by the heart. For example, a child afraid of the dark could unconsciously project his fear and create a twenty-foot monster who thinks you're lunch."

"Ugh, no thanks," Kagura shook her head. "I taste terrible, I'm sure."

"Of course. But it used to be that this entire world was ruled, ordered, and supported by one person's will. The Pillar. I already told you about her."

"Yeah. Esmeralda or something."

"Emeraude."

"Yeah, her."

"It's not that way anymore, though. Cephiro belongs to everyone now."

Kagura mulled over this for a moment. "It's all so weird."

"I should take you back to the Fountain of Eterna. You think you're confused now, you should see that place," Umi half-winced at the memory of the two-dimensional spring that held the legendary mineral Escudo. That damn puddle had nearly killed them.

"I'm not sure I want to!" Kagura yelped. Then she smiled. "So will power can create things, right?" At Umi's nod, she continued, "So…I don't suppose you could will me up a bottle of Maui and some Sprite? I really need something to help me relax."

Umi stared at her blankly for a minute before both burst into hysterical fits of giggles. And neither could stop; they would get themselves under some semblance of control, but the moment they would so much as glance at each other, it would start anew.

The door opened, and Takeshi's head popped in. "What in the world are you two doing?"

Two pillows, randomly ripped from Umi's bed, flew across the room in response. One struck the wall beside the door, but the other managed to catch him straight in the face.

From there, it was a rout for poor Takeshi, who quickly found himself on the loosing end of the Great Pillow Battle. The three engaged in their duel until one of the pillows split wide open, sending a snowfall of soft white feathers all over the room.

After they recovered from their laughter, they spent quite some time cleaning the mess up. When the last feather had been tucked away into a bag, they said their goodnights. Umi tumbled into bed as soon as they were gone; in spite of herself, she fell asleep the moment her head touched the pillow.

And much to her relief, she did not dream that night.

_o_

_o_

The next morning, Fuu emerged from her room with a yawn—and stopped.

There were people everywhere! Palace servants and guards, running this way and that, shouting directions to each other. It was utter chaos, and she had inadvertently stepped right into the middle of it.

Then she remembered Clef's announcement of the previous afternoon. The ambassadors of another country in this world—she couldn't remember the name of the place—were arriving here today for in order to settle some diplomatic affairs.

Weaving her way through the maelstorm, she managed to make it to the throne room. Umi and Hikaru were already there, discussing something with Presea. Hikaru noticed her presence first, and waved at her. "Fuu! Good morning!"

"Morning," she replied amiably. "It's crazy here right now!"

"I'll say," Umi tossed her hair. "I stepped out of my room and nearly got mowed down by some guy carrying a bunch of flowers. I tried to check on Kagura and Takeshi, but they said they're just going to hang out in their rooms and wait for the chaos to die down."

Hikaru giggled, and put a deranged look on her face. "Chaos…chaos is good!" And everyone laughed. Umi had actually made a signs for their dorm room doors that read, _Lord Chaos, bless this unholy lair of darkness._ (AN: A thousand nerd points to anyone who knows where that joke comes from.)

"Good morning," Clef entered.

"How goes it? There's people everywhere!" Fuu gestured around the room, where a multitude of palace servants and laborers were making sure that every inch of the room was scrubbed to its shining best. The same was going on all over the palace. "With all these people around, are they actually managing to get anything done?"

"Amazingly, yes," Clef explained. "As chaotic as it looks, everyone actually has a very specific job assigned to them. They do that job and that job only. So while it looks like mayhem, everything is getting done, right on schedule."

"What was the name of the country who's visiting again?" Umi asked. Obviously, she couldn't remember either. "And when are they supposed to get here?"

"The ambassadors are from Aldarba," the Master Mage aswered. "And we received word that they will probably arrive in the early afternoon." He smiled at them. "Ferio and I will be extending the official welcome. But you are welcome to wait and meet them."

"I might do that," Fuu nodded cheerfully. "But first—breakfast!"

This proclamation was met with hearty acclaim, and the three girls scampered off towards the kitchens in search of their morning meal. Presea and Clef remained behind and watched them leave.

"They don't know yet, do they?" the pharle said softly.

"He didn't tell them," Clef shook his head. "I don't think they would be this happy if they knew."

_o_

_o_

No sooner was the last flower arrangement in place and whatnot did they arrive. Their fortress-ship actually landed beside the palace ahead of schedule. Clef and Ferio were already in place, but the Magic Knights had not yet returned from their quest for sustenance.

As Prince and Mage waited for the ambassadors, Clef turned a death-glare on his young student. "You do realize you have just dug yourself into a hole, Ferio. Don't you?"

Ferio sighed. "I know. I'll…I'll deal with it. Somehow."

"I hope so. For your sake as well as everyone else's."

The conversation was stilled, then, as the doors opened wide, and Lantis led the arrivals into the throne room, like a very small parade. For the most part, they were men, ten of them; all were dressed richly, and carried themselves as men of breeding and probably aristocracy. A council of sorts, undoubtedly. They were all looking around, examining the place, and Clef was surprisingly pleased to see that they were suitably impressed.

The only one who wasn't gazing about was the young woman in the lead, the only female in the group. Judging on looks alone, she was at least ten years younger than the youngest man in her entourage. She was the head of this party, Clef already knew, and the ten who followed her were her subordinates.

She was quite pretty, with black hair pulled back into a complicated arrangement of braids and buns, with a few decorative hair ornaments intertwined into it. Her clothing was like something out of ancient China: long, brightly colored robes, with sleeves that swallowed her hands. Her face was pale, oval-shaped, with wide, dark eyes.

But her expression was…unreadable. It was impossible to tell what she was thinking. For all anyone knew, she was bored out of her mind. She almost seemed arrogant—for a woman of the upper class, as she was, that very well have been the case.

Clef, however, ignored her immediate mannerisms, and smiled warmly. "Lady Caliana, welcome. We are honored to have you with us." Behind him, he heard Ferio make a small noise that sounded vaguely like agreement.

Caliana's eyes slid over them, and Clef swore he saw a flash of emotion there. But it was gone in a heartbeat as she bowed her head respectfully in a nod, then raised her chin. "Thank you, Master Mage, Your Highness." She had gone unreadable again.

"If there is anything you need," Clef continued, "do not hesitate to ask."

"Again, thank you," Lady Caliana said.

"I'm sure you are tired from your journey," Clef went on. "We can show you to your rooms for the time being, and worry about the political matters at a later time. Feel free to make yourselves at home."

Caliana bobbed up and down in a quick bow, and turned to the door. There were servants waiting there to show the young woman and her entourage to their rooms for their stay.

As she was leaving, the Magic Knights returned. Hikaru reacted first. "Aw, we missed it!" Then she waved over the girl's head. "Hi, Ferio!" The Prince looked startled, then gave a halfhearted wave back.

Caliana stared blankly at the three girls. "May I ask who you are?"

"These are the Magic Knights of Cephiro," Clef called.

One dark eyebrow arched. "The legendary girls from another world?"

"That's us!" Hikaru beamed. "What's your name?"

Amazingly enough, not even Hikaru's contagious cheerfulness brought a smile to the young woman's face. "I am Caliana of Aldarba. I am pleased to meet you." She nodded her greeting.

"Nice to meet you, too!" Umi smiled. "I'm Umi, and this is Fuu, and Hikaru. We've got two other friends here with us from our world, Kagura and Takeshi. You'll have to meet them sometime, too."

"Indeed," Caliana's tone was as unreadable as her facial expression. "If you will excuse me."

"Of course," Fuu stepped aside to let the girl pass.

They watched Caliana's retreating back; as soon as she was out of earshot, Umi frowned. "Did you see that? She was rude!" She folded her arms. "She almost seemed arrogant."

Hikaru nodded. "I don't get it."

Fuu, however, was tapping her chin thoughtfully. "I'm not so sure…"

_o_

_o_

He moved his wrist a tiny bit, causing the crimson liquid to slosh about in the wine glass he held.

A lazy smirk crossed his face. He never tired of watching those silly Magic Knights.

When first he had learned of these Magic Knights, he would admit he had been alarmed. He knew of their power, and there were…other things to consider. He had tried to have the problem dealt with early on, attacking them in their own world. But something had interfered, and they were now under the protection of Guru Clef and, in all probability, the rest of the Cephirean inhabitants. The Magic Knights were their protectors and saviors, after all.

But the more he saw, the more he found himself amused.

They were barely out of childhood! Three silly girls, no less. They couldn't possibly pose a threat.

But that one…the blue one.

He often found himself watching her more than the others. She intrigued him as few had ever before. She was so much the Water Dragon—beautiful, intelligent, sharp-witted, and if properly provoked, downright deadly. Of the three, he saw her as the most dangerous, for those, as well as _other_, reasons.

He took a long drink, and snapped his fingers. Instantly, someone appeared at his side.

"Yes, sir?" the newcomer asked rigidly. He was a tall man, wearing black armor with a cape. One hand rested comfortably on the hilt of the sword hanging by his side. Long, blonde hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail.

"Aeric," he barked, "I believe…it is time."

The newcomer, Aeric, smiled, a smirk just as cruel and bloodthirsty as his lord's. "Yes, sir."

_o_

_o_

_o_

**AN: **Comparatively short, but the last pawn is in place. And now the real fun can begin. As always, I'd love to hear your predictions, guesses, or whatnot. Comments always appreciated, and **Can-O-Pringles**, don't worry about wasting review space. Your reviews are always fun to read!

You might also have noticed that I'm not really using much in terms of the Japanese language in this story, like the suffixes and whatnot. I might use some terms where the Japanese sounds better than the English equivalent, like 'baka' instead of 'idiot' and the like. Otherwise, I won't be using them much.

**Next chapter: **Caliana's true purpose in Cephiro is revealed, Umi is ready to commit murder (oh my!), and another attack on the Cephirean palace takes an unexpected turn…tune in!


	6. Broken Promise, Broken Heart

**AN: **Whee, we're moving on! I'm really into this story, ya know? It's just fun to write!

Okay, I should give everyone a small **WARNING**! At the end of this chapter, the story will momentarily take on a slightly higher rating for violence, the first time I've written anything like that. We're not talking kid's stuff. You have been warned, kay?

And remember—just about everything I put in this story has a purpose, no matter how small. You'll see what I mean. It's been very carefully planned that way.

Do I own Magic Knight Rayearth? No I don't:cries:

_o_

_o_

_o_

**Broken Promise, Broken Heart**

Two days had passed since Caliana's arrival, and the Magic Knights still hadn't managed to find out exactly what was going on. The young woman was like a ghost—she seemed to appear and vanish, without anyone seeing her. And truthfully, Umi had said, it was getting annoying. 

There had been a couple more monster attacks, which had been dealt with easily by the Magic Knights. As yet, they had not even had to call upon their mashin again. But during one fight, Fuu had later sworn she had looked up and seen Caliana watching from a window.

It was a mystery, an enigma to them.

But it was not to remain so for very much longer…

_o_

_o_

"Lady Caliana?"

The dark-haired woman turned away from the window to take in her visitor. It was a Magic Knight—the blonde one. The newcomer was smiling cheerily. "Hello. I don't know if you remember me, but my name is Fuu."

Fuu. That was it. The Knight of Windam, if she remembered correctly.

Caliana had stopped at one of the many palace windows to simply take in the scenery. She must have been standing there for a lot longer than she had intended—but it was a beautiful country from this vantage point. It reminded her a little of her own homeland of Aldarba, and with that reminder came a pang of homesickness that she didn't want anyone to see.

She managed a slight smile in response. Not that she really felt like smiling. "Hello. I was just admiring the view." That, at least, was the truth.

"It is beautiful," the one called Fuu agreed, and stepped over to stand beside her at the window. "It never ceases to amaze me." She chuckled. "It's only the third time we've been here, and it seems like the scenery changes each time."

"You've only been here three times?" Caliana was surprised. Though she knew the legend, that these girls came from another world, she had always assumed that as the protectors of this realm, the Magic Knights would live there, or at least visit often.

"Is this your first visit to Cephiro?" Fuu asked.

Caliana nodded. "It is."

Fuu frowned, but decided to keep trying. "What position do you have in the nobility of Aldarba?"

They didn't even know _that_ much? Good gods...and she said so. "You haven't been told anything have you? My father is the king." She noticed that Fuu's eyes widened. "I am the Princess, and the only heir to the Aldarban throne. Someday, I will rule."

"Why exactly are you here?" the Green Knight seemed to recover herself and went on. "I mean, I know it's some diplomatic thing, but nobody will tell us exactly what's going on." She paused. "I guess it might not be any of our business…but we're just curious, that's all."

"Do you not want me here?" Caliana asked, trying to get a measure of this strange young woman from another world. For some reason, she couldn't quite get a reading on Fuu and whatever her motives might be. She possessed an innate ability to read people, but this girl eluded her. Could it be that she really did just want to talk to her? No…people weren't like that. That was why she further tested the waters with a question of deliberate misinterpretation.

And Fuu seemed genuinely taken aback. "No, that's not it at all. We just wanted to know a little more about you." She was telling the truth.

Caliana sighed. "You really don't know. I can't imagine why Guru Clef wouldn't tell you."

"Tell us what?" Fuu asked.

A moment later, there was a sickening crunching sound as Fuu's heart shattered.

_o_

_o_

There was a knock on the door, and before anyone could answer, the door opened, and Umi walked in. She closed the door behind her before strolling casually to the center of the room. Everyone watched her somewhat warily; she was smiling far too sweetly for any of their tastes. And they all suddenly felt quite uncomfortable.

Clef, Lafarga, Presea, and Caldina all waited, knowing full well that she would eventually tell them exactly what that evil, saccharine smile was for. And everyone knew that it wasn't anything good.

"Excuse me, but have you seen Ferio?" she asked conversationally.

Ding ding, red alert. Danger!

But Presea's curiosity had already gotten the better of her, and she pointed towards the door at the opposite end of the room. "I think he went through there. I don't know where he went from there."

"Thank you," Umi said with a million-watt smile. She put her hand to her glove-jewel, and in a flash of blue light, she was armed with her Escudo sword. Without another word, she stalked towards the appointed door, with menace written in her very movements.

"Umi, what are you doing?" Clef asked, alarmed.

She didn't stop, but replied, "I'm going to kill Ferio."

The two other women proved to have remarkable fast reflexes, and were on their feet in an eye blink. Both Caldina and Presea leapt into her path, blocking her way. "Whoa, kiddo!" Caldina put her hands on Umi's shoulders to further restrain the Magic Knight. "Calm down! What's the problem?"

Umi's eyes flared; the fake cheeriness was gone, and it had been replaced by a rage that was only barely contained. "What's the problem, Caldina?" Her voice was a snarl. "Why didn't anyone think it was important to tell us that Ferio was engaged? Were we not going to be invited to this wedding thing?"

The Chizetan dancer's face screwed up in confusion. "Wedding?"

The rest of the room had gone very quiet.

"A wedding is what we call the ceremony when two people get married," Umi replied, and before another question could be asked, she went on, "Marriage is when two people make a promise to be together forever. And from what I've been told, Ferio and Caliana are looking it in the face. That's the nature of this little diplomatic visit. An alliance-marriage. Care to tell me why nobody bothered to tell us?"

Everyone suddenly found something else to stare out.

"So if you'll excuse me, I hope none of you have a very strong attachment to your Prince," she tried to push past the two blocking her way. "Because he's got a date to keep in hell."

"Umi, Umi, calm down!" Presea begged. In an attempt to distract Umi, she asked desperately, "Where's Hikaru, anyway?"

"Hikaru?" Umi cackled. "Hikaru's chasing down the Bitch-Bride with intent to kill. Don't think Caliana's getting off scot-free. Now if you'll please get out of my way, I've got a murder to commit."

"Umi, come on! Stop this!" Caldina protested. "I know yer angry, but—"

"Oh, I'm beyond angry!" she snapped. Then, to everyone's surprise, she stepped back and glowered at them. "Caldina, Presea, come with me. Please. Just for a minute. You'll understand why I'm so pissed off, I promise."

The two obediently followed her, unsure of what they were going to be shown. Clef and Lafarga, both of whom had jumped to their feet at Umi's declaration of murderous intent, were left in blank confusion. Neither moved, though; both knew, instinctively, that in a moment, all would be revealed.

They were right.

A few minutes had passed before the door opened again, and Umi stepped back inside with Presea in tow. But to the open amazement of the two men, not only was Umi still holding her sword, but Presea was also armed with a blade. Both stalked wordlessly across the room towards the door. Beyond that door was the target of their anger—Ferio.

"Umi, obviously you're still planning on killing Ferio," Clef said, looking completely confused—probably for the first time in his life. "But Presea, what are you doing?"

"Helping!" the artisan replied with a little bit of a bloodthirsty smile on her face. "So is Caldina. She went to find Hikaru. Now if you'll excuse us—"

"Presea…"

The pharle stopped and turned a glare on them. "You haven't seen Fuu, have you? Apparently, she got the news from Caliana, and none too gently. So if there are no more questions, gentlemen, we have important things to do." And with that, they were gone.

The two men waited.

After a moment, there was some yelling, a few loud obscenities, and some crashes.

And suddenly, both had to wonder if the two women were actually serious about spilling blood.

_o_

_o_

It wasn't often that she cried like this. But for some reason, Fuu was unable to stop.

This was a broken heart. It had to be. Nothing else could possibly hurt this much. It was like someone was ramming her with a fistful of glass, ripping her to pieces from the inside out. She'd been like that for quite some time, since about mid-morning, when her talk with Caliana had given her the truth.

The sun had moved across the sky, revealing that it was earliest evening.

Fuu had never felt like that about anyone, before or since. Ferio was special to her, more than special. The first time they had met, back in the Forest of Silence, she had been suspicious of him, but he had helped them. After that, she hadn't been able to get his face out of her mind.

Finding out he was actually the Prince had probably been the most horrifying moment of her life. To realize that the man she loved—for by then she had realized that love was, indeed, what that emotion was—was the younger brother of the Pillar they had killed was agonizing. And yet he bore her no ill will. He did not blame her at all. And his kindness had helped her heal some of the pain she still carried from that last terrible battle.

Being unable to return to Cephiro, she'd still never been able to put him from her mind. She'd known that they would probably never see each other again. It was more than likely that they would only be reunited again in heaven. But then the attack, and Mokona's intervention had brought them together…

Only for Fate to slap her across the face again.

Was Destiny really so determined to keep them apart forever?

She was angry, so angry with him. She remembered the few times he'd be trying to say something to her, to tell her something, and he would never be able to say it. Had he been trying to tell her then? Ferio should have just told her, not let her hear it from some woman who was all but a stranger.

She felt selfish, worrying so much about herself. She didn't even know how Ferio felt about his impending union. But it wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair…

A tap on the door roused her, and she quickly dried her eyes. No use in making a scene or worrying anyone else. A glance in the mirror proved that she looked far less than presentable, though. So she opted for a middle ground, and asked in a surprisingly steady voice, "Who is it?"

"Fuu, please open the door," Umi's voice came back softly. "It's us."

Making a quick decision, Fuu unlocked the door and opened it a crack. Umi was there, with Hikaru and Kagura in tow. "Can we come in?" Kagura asked softly.

Fuu stepped back and let them pass into her room before closing the door behind them. She also made sure to lock it again before returning to her perch on her bed. "What's up?" she asked, a little too conversationally.

But Kagura wasn't buying, nor was she bothering with niceties. She walked straight over to the bed, sat down next to Fuu, and pulled her into a tight hug. "You know…" she said softly, "you don't have to pretend for us."

For a moment, there was silence. Then, Fuu's weak resolve broke, and she wept again. Hikaru and Umi joined them in a big group hug, letting their heartbroken friend lean on them for support.

"_We'll get through anything together!"_

They had made that pact so long ago, the three Magic Knights. And though Kagura had sworn herself to it much later, her word was just as good. That was just one part of being a friend—you could get through the toughest times together.

If Fuu needed to cry, they were her shoulder.

And in the warmth of her friends' embrace, Fuu felt herself begin to calm down just the tiniest bit.

The other three, however, felt nothing like that. They were furious.

Furious at Caliana for so callously breaking the news to Fuu. Furious at Ferio for not having the nerve to tell her the truth when he knew damn well that she loved him. Furious at everyone else here for not sharing the nature of Caliana's visit with them.

Especially Umi. Fiercely loyal to her friends, Umi always watched over the others. And when they were hurt, she wanted to visit destruction upon those who dared to cause that hurt.

And right now, Ferio was very high on her list.

_o_

_o_

"Another attack…" Hikaru huffed, drawing her sword. "What's the deal?"

"Let's take care of them!" Umi grinned, though there was no mirth behind the smile; it was all anger. "I need to hit something anyway!"

Fuu just frowned. She wasn't usually prone to taking out her frustrations on other people, but this was a case where she was delighted to have something she could legitimately beat on.

These monsters were comparatively smaller than the others they had fought, and proved not to be much of a challenge. Their strength, however, lay in numbers. They weren't big or powerful, but there were a lot of them. And furthermore, there were actual people mixed in with their numbers this time. Most of these men were bearing bows and arrows, while the rest were armed with swords.

And the battle was joined; it was definitely destined to be a short one. The number of arrows flying through the air didn't help the Knights much. But the enemy archers proved to be miserable shots, and the majority of the fired bolts missed any sort of target, and the rest managed to injure their own fighters and monsters. If it hadn't been dangerous, it would have been hilarious.

The sky overhead was orange and red, painted in the glow of sunset. It would be dark soon, so best to finish quickly while they had light to fight by. And it seemed to be going well. Until…

"Umi, watch out!"

She didn't know whose voice it was that called out that warning, but it was too late. Umi whirled around, and screamed in pain as she was hit; an arrow plunged deep into her shoulder, halfway up the shaft.

Her sword fell from her hand, and she instinctively fell to her knees and reached up to the wound. She felt something warm and very sticky on her fingers, around the arrow. Wincing, she gritted her teeth and wrapped her now-bloody fingers around the thin shaft. Better to get it out now then later.

Another cry of pain escaped her as she yanked the arrow out. Blood immediately began to gush from the wound, and she picked up her sword and returned it to the gem. Her sword arm was the injured one, anyway; she wouldn't be much good with it now. Best to use her magic to escape and recuperate off the battlefield. The others could handle this without her, just this once. When this was over, Fuu could heal her, and she'd be back on her feet.

"Hikaru!" she cried to her redheaded friend, who was nearest to her. "I'm hurt! I'm going back inside the palace! Will you be okay?"

"We'll handle it, don't worry!" Hikaru called back, roasting a monster with her magic. "Go!"

Dodging in and out of fights and ducking arrows and swords, Umi wove her way back towards the palace. Almost there…almost there…

Suddenly, just ahead of her, there was an eruption of magic. Dark magic. It took the form of something black and circular, hovering in the air about two feet above the ground, and Umi had the distinct feeling that she did not want to know what it was. But she didn't have much choice.

A man stepped from the circle, and Umi made a guess that it was some sort of portal or something. That was about all the time she had to ponder it, because this newcomer was upon her.

She saw blonde hair, dark eyes, black armor, and a rock swinging at her head…

_o_

_o_

"Magic Knights!"

The deep male voice was commanding enough to silence the entire battlefield. The monsters froze, and Hikaru and Fuu spun towards the source of the call. Both gasped in horror.

The man there was obviously a soldier—armed and armored. He radiated something of darkness. And he had Umi, unconscious, slumped in his arms. There was a small trickle of blood running down from a cut on her forehead, right beside an enormous bruise. And the shoulder-wound, caused by the stray arrow, was still bleeding angrily.

"I bid you farewell, Magic Knights," he barked again, smirking. "And I'm sure your friend says goodbye as well." The dark magic flared, and he leapt into the strange black portal, and was gone, taking Umi with him.

Around the shocked Magic Knights, the monsters vanished.

"NO!" Hikaru screamed.

Fuu's eyes narrowed. "A set up…"

_o_

_o_

"I think she's finally wakin' up."

The harsh, gravelly male voice made her head hurt even worse. Her ears were already ringing, and her whole body ached. As she slowly regained awareness, she realized that she was sprawled on her side on a cold, hard floor—probably stone. Her forehead was throbbing, and she thought she remembered being struck. Blonde hair…black armor…appeared out of nowhere…

She tried to move, and bit back a yelp as a shock of pain surged through her. Her shoulder. She'd been hit by an arrow there. And it hurt like hell now, so much that she didn't dare move again.

"Well, well, well," that same voice sneered again. "Sleepin' Beauty's finally up."

Her eyes fluttered open, and slowly, the room came into focus. It looked like a dungeon of some sort. The whole place was made of stone, and there were bars all over the place. She seemed to have been unceremoniously dumped on the floor, and now a group of about five or six men were standing over her. They were all relatively the same—dirty, hairy, unkempt; they were all wearing filthy clothes and malicious leers directed at her.

"Are the new quarters to her Ladyship's likin'?" a younger one taunted.

"Lady Magic Knight," another added—this man had a long scar across his face.

"You and yer little friends killed our buddies," one of the men, this one with a grizzly beard said. He climbed to his feet and cracked his knuckles as he took one ominous step towards her. "I think ya need to pay fer it."

Their buddies? _The archers_…

Umi barely had time to process this, as the first blow fell; his fist collided with the side of her face. She flew back, hit the wall, and started to slide to the floor. But a hand roughly grabbed the front of her shirt, and she heard fabric rip as whoever had grabbed her pulled her back up and landed a second, equally hard blow, this one a sharp upper cut to the chin. She stumbled and fell to the floor.

And from there, it was a rout. She was assaulted by a barrage of hands, fists, and feet pummeling relentlessly against her. Someone grabbed her hair at some point and used it to hold her up to make a better target. And the onslaught continued.

Suddenly she felt a crack and a stab of pain, worse than the arrow-wound. It followed what felt like a kick to the stomach. Something was broken, probably a rib or two, and it was getting worse…

Two hands grabbed her roughly and threw her; she hit the wall hard again and stumbled to the floor. Her head struck the stone, and stars danced in front of her eyes before another punch landed on her face, and her vision clouded to red.

Instinctively, Umi tried to curl up and present as small of a target as possible, but it was a lost cause. They weren't going to stop. And after the first few minutes, she became painfully certain that they were going to kill her. But she refused to scream or cry from pain; that would just make them happier.

Something harder than fists and feet began beating against her then. Had they taken weapons now? It felt heavy—something metal?

Then one of them kicked her wounded shoulder. She screamed in agony, and finally, blessedly, lost herself in the pain. She felt her body go limp, and she retreated back into a safe area deep within her mind. They continued to punish her; the more blows that fell, the further she fled away from them. And finally, she reached the edge and dove off, into the deep expanse of unconsciousness.

"_Umi!" _a bright, distinctly female voice spoke in her mind; it sliced through the darkness like shining steel. "_Please, hold on! Don't let them beat you!"_

"Who…are you?" Umi whispered. And the images of the familiar dream began to play out again.

_The shadow engulfing all that she held dear, and the figure looming ahead to protect her from the darkness._ _Was this the voice of her protector? She was wearing her standard armor, and her Escudo sword was clutched in her hand._

_Again, she reached out towards the one who stood between her and the shadows. The female figure reached back towards her. They were so close…Umi knew, somehow, instinctively, that if she touched that hand, she would have the answer she so desperately wanted now._

_And a voice echoed around her, the same female voice that had told her to hold on. But it was so soft that she could only make out a few of the words. "Open…to…" That was all she got; the rest was a strange buzzing noise._

_The dream faded, and their fingers did not touch. But Umi fell into the safety of the darkness within her mind, and made her decision, a vow to her unknown guardian._

I will hold on. I won't be beaten like this.

…but what do you want from me?

_o_

_o_

_o_

**AN: **Whew…let's settle down, kids. I tried not to make this as graphic as it probably could have been. I'm very squeamish, don't ya know :sheepish: So we've completed another chapter. Yay! From here on out, we're into the really good stuff. Yay again!

Oh, and the explanation about what marriage is was based on the manga. Lantis didn't know what it meant to marry someone. So there isn't 'marriage' in Cephiro, but I have to believe that there's some sort of legal union between people, so that's how I wrote it. Some of you probably despise Caliana right now. Truthfully…I'm very happy with how her character development is progressing. Trust me, I think your opinions of her will continue to change as she's in the story more and more.

**Next chapter: **Umi finally meets the enemy, and Ferio is confronted…and what about Caliana? Is she really all that bad…or just misunderstood? Tune in next time to find out this and more! Thanks!


	7. Prisoners

**AN: **F-f-f-fifty reviews? I've got fifty reviews::faints::springs back up and hugs every single person who reviewed: I love you all, you hear me? You guys are awesome, the bomb, the absolute coolest thing ever! The cream of my corn, the apple of my pie, the pearl of my oyster! Whee! And the amazing thing is that we've barely even scratched the surface of this storyline. There are many twists to come. And as a treat, I have an **EXTREMELY** long chapter for you, as well as a **treat at the end.** SQUEE!

This is bizarre, but I just found another MKR fic with a title almost identical to this—it's called "Silent Tears of the Sea." I didn't read it yet or anything (it's a yuri fic, of all things)…but I just thought it was surprising. I put a lot of thought into this title, dammit! You'd be surprised at how long it took me to pick a title for this fic, and I do mean that. VixieAngel and I bounced a ton of ideas around before we came up with this name. So I was startled to find another fic with the same bloody title… :cries:

I don't own MKR. Leave me in my shame :cries again:

_o_

_o_

_o_

**Prisoners**

Cold…

It was desperately cold. Where was she?

She shifted, the tiniest bit—and regretted it, instantly, as pain lanced through her. It was unlike anything before, so bad that she could barely breathe. She was drowning, struggling towards a surface that was far beyond her reach.

And slowly, with her dawning consciousness, came the horror of remembrance and realization. She had been taken captive during the battle, after being injured. She had been thrown into a dungeon. And she had been beaten by her captors, passing out during the torture. She was almost frightened to realize how little she truly remembered of that. Only the pain gave her clues as to how long and how severe the beating had been. What had they done to her? And how long had she been unconscious?

Slowly, her eyes struggled opened, and she saw high walls rising up around her, leading up to a shadowed ceiling. It was all in dark gray-black stone, shrouded in darkness. Various odors assailed her nose: dirt, dampness, and mold. Her ears pricked up, hearing water dripping somewhere nearby. And her hands twitched a little at her sides; she was lying on what felt like damp straw.

Umi knew she had to get up. Best to do it quickly, she thought. And so she gathered her strength and her nerve, and forced herself upwards into a sitting position; she then nearly fainted from pain and dizziness; she felt sick. She slumped against the wall for support. It was cold and slightly damp. Had she been her normal self, she probably wouldn't have touched it, but now it was something blessedly solid.

Now that she was sitting up, she could get a little better look around her prison. She found that she had, indeed, been sprawled out on a pile of hay, probably dumped there by her earlier tormentors. The door nearby looked like it was made of wood, and had a small window with bars across it; the bars cast shadows on the floor from the light outside.

Her mind started fading in and out as she tried to get some sort of handle on her injuries. Her shoulder was on fire, and she remembered being hit there by a stray arrow in the fight, just before she had been taken. Gingerly, she moved one hand to touch that wound; even through the bandage someone had wrapped haphazardly around it, she could feel that it was hot and dry. Coupled with the feeling of sickness and her limited medical knowledge (limited basically to first aid classes and the like), she guessed that she had taken a wound-fever, and it was probably infected.

She moved slightly; there was sharp pain in her sides. Possibly broken ribs? She wasn't sure. Everything was starting to blur together, reality and the strange hallucinations forming within her own mind. She was starting to have visions, images that danced around her. People she knew from Earth mingled with her Cephirean friends, and together they did the most bizarre things. Photographs of the past intermixed with pictures of that which had not yet come.

Finally, Umi released her hold on herself, and fell backwards once again onto the moldy straw that was to serve as her bed. And as her eyelids slid down, they shielded her eyes from the delusions brought on by pain and illness. She was certain she would simply slip back into unconsciousness.

But rather than darkness and release, she found herself floating amidst light, in a state of heightened awareness. She was aware of every nuance, every tiny sound that went on around her, and every twitch of agony in her body. A scream escaped her, a shriek of pain that was purely of mind and emotion.

"Shhh…" a soft voice said beside her. It was decidedly female, but it was not one she recognized immediately. Deciding it was worth it, Umi braved her own agony to turn her head and look up at the person who had suddenly appeared beside her.

She knew that person. She had seen that woman many times.

"I…I know you…" she gasped, and was horrified at how her voice came out. A strangled, forced whisper that sounded harsh to her own ears. "You're…in my dreams…"

"Shhh…" the woman hushed again. She was as a shadow, standing beside Umi, like an outline of a person colored in with black paint. One dark hand moved to Umi's perspiration-soaked forehead and brushed her damp bangs away from her face. "I'm so sorry, bright one. It should not have had to come to this. But you must hold on. I cannot tell you why, but I assure you that he will not kill you."

Umi's hazed mind processed this slowly. And with it came a realization she would have much rather avoided. "Things…worse than death…"

The shadow-woman nodded. "There are things worse than death, bright one. But remember that you are not alone here. You will find a friend in this horrid place. And I am watching over you. Do not lose hope." The woman's head turned to the side. "They are coming for you now. Be brave, and keep faith, bright heart." The hand withdrew from her forehead, and it took with it the physical comfort of knowing she was not alone. And the woman was gone.

As the figure faded from sight, the room returned to normal—the dark, dank dungeon. But something was different—namely, Umi herself. There was no more pain. Gingerly, she sat up, and realized that she felt completely normal. A glance proved that the bruises she knew she'd had were gone.

One hand slid to her shoulder and unwrapped the grimy bandage that had been sloppily adorning her injury. It fell away, to a heap on the floor, and she examined herself. There was nothing—no wound, no scar, not even any blood. Even her clothes were repaired—she knew they couldn't have come out of her beating unscathed, and there should have been a hole in her shirt from the arrow.

All in all, she was almost in better shape now than she had been when she'd been captured, save for that she was missing both her armor and glove-jewel. In short, she had been stripped of her most powerful defenses. She had no magic, no sword, and no bodily protection. Hikaru had taught her some hand-to-hand, but there was no way that she could battle her way out with such meager defenses as her own two hands. It wouldn't be enough.

But as the shadow-woman had foretold, she heard footsteps coming towards her prison. After a few seconds, a shadow moved outside the tiny window in the door; she heard the grating sound of metal on metal, and a loud clank. And the door creaked open. A man stepped in and closed the door.

Umi instinctively leapt to her feet, every muscle tightened into readiness. One man, she was fairly certain she could handle. Even in the shadows, she could see that this was definitely nobody of importance. He was grimy, filthy, and wearing clothes that she knew her mother would never have allowed into the house. He was also wearing a sly smile.

Instantly, she knew what that smile meant, and she swallowed nausea. As he stalked towards her, one of his hands moved to his belt. She kept her expression neutral. Let him think her harmless. Wouldn't he have an unpleasant surprise—unpleasant for him, at least.

As he drew closer, he reached towards her with one hand and his grin widened. Umi saw her opportunity, and seized it. Taking what she had learned from Hikaru, coupled with a few steps and maneuvers of a fencer, she stepped away from his grasp, grabbed his arm to hold him in position, and rammed her knee into his stomach as hard as she could.

It had the desired effect: he gasped in surprise and pain. The smile dropped from his face, and he doubled over in shock. Umi took advantage of his momentary immobility to dart across the room. But he wasn't stunned for long, and he rounded on her. There was no calm, lazy stride this time; he lunged at her with a roar like a wild animal, his eyes ablaze with anger and lust.

Again, she dodged his hands, ducking beneath them, and this time she brought her hand up and landed a clean hit—the butt of her palm met his nose with a loud crunching noise. She dropped and swung one leg around to hit the back of his knees, knocking him to the ground. She again danced out of his reach.

_Stay on your toes, _she muttered to herself, a mantra to keep herself focused. _Keep moving. No holds barred, no rules apply. He wants me, he's going to have to work for it._

He'd gotten up again, and she saw blood running from his nose down over his lip. His lips pulled back in a snarl, and he surged to his feet. He muttered a few words she didn't catch.

_Doesn't he give up? _she wondered frantically. She couldn't keep this up forever.

Without either of them noticing it, the door to her cell had opened. And when her attacker lunged forward again, she saw a flash of something silver in the dim light—

And the man froze in midair. Then, with a slight gurgling sound, he fell forward, into a heap on the ground. Umi saw a large blood stain on the back of his shirt. He twitched a little, but did not move.

Once again, the Magic Knight had to force down nausea at the killing, and her attention redirected towards the one who had killed her would-be rapist. She remembered him—the one who had captured her in the first place. Tall, with long blonde hair in a ponytail, dark eyes, and heavy black armor.

And once again, she went on the defensive, though if he wanted to harm her, she wasn't sure how she would fare against his armor and sword—a long blade which was now stained with blood. He took a moment to wipe the shining silver blade on the shirt of his victim before turning his focus to her.

She tensed, and bumped into the wall. Without realizing it, she had backed right into it. Great. Now she was all but cornered, facing an armed and armored man who stood between her and the open door that was her only possible gateway to freedom…

But to her surprise, he sheathed his sword, put one hand to his heart—and _bowed_. He bowed to her, head dipped in what almost appeared to be respect, and spoke. His voice was deep and commanding. "I do apologize for this fool, Lady Magic Knight. And I am sorry you had to witness his punishment."

Taken aback, Umi nodded.

He straightened and smiled at her, and she received another surprise. She had subconsciously labeled him as 'handsome' the first time she had laid eyes on him, for he was. But smiling like that, he was almost—charming. And it unnerved her. He spoke again. "I have orders from my lord. I was to take you to be healed, and then to him. But," something flickered in his eyes, "you seem to be perfectly healthy at the moment. A Knight's magic, I assume?"

Umi didn't trust herself to answer. Fuu was the one with the healing magic, not her. She had been healed through the power of some as-yet known shadow who haunted her dreams.

"If you are all right, then shall we go visit milord?" the blonde man asked. And in yet another surprising move, he bowed and offered her his arm. Unsure of what to do, Umi gingerly set her hand atop the armored wrist guard and allowed herself to be lead from her prison into a hallway that was very well-lit; the light hurt her eyes, and she winced against it as her eyes adjusted to the brightness.

After rounding a few corners, he stopped and dropped her arm. "Oh, but where are my manners?" He bowed again, and Umi suddenly had the sense that he was mocking her, though he seemed perfectly sincere. "Allow me to introduce myself, milady. My name is Aeric, milord's general. May I ask your name, Lady Magic Knight?"

"Aeric," Umi said slowly, the first time she had spoken to this man—she was not surprised to learn that he was a general. With the armor and sword, he seemed to fit the persona of a soldier. Making a quick decision, she continued, "My name is Umi. You may address me as such." She figured it would be easier to just tell him her name; she had a feeling that being addressed as 'Lady Magic Knight' would get very old, very fast.

Something akin to amusement flitted over his expression. "Very well, Lady Umi. Let us continue." And the stroll through the twisting corridors went on. It was very disorienting after a while, and it seemed to stretch on and on.

Finally, just as Umi was starting to wonder exactly where she was being taken, Aeric stopped. They were staring a large pair of doors. They were made of a deep, red-brown wood, and were ornately engraved and had a gold inlay of twisting vines. Whatever was behind these doors must be important.

"Milord's study," Aeric announced. He raised one armor-clad hand—was there any part of this man that wasn't armored?—and rapped sharply three times on the door before stepping back and waiting. There was a split-second pause before the door opened noiselessly.

Umi suddenly realized that she was holding her breath, and released it carefully. This was it—she had the sudden feeling that she was about to meet their enemy, their true enemy. The one who had probably ordered Aeric to take her prisoner, the mysterious 'milord.'

She hesitated for a nanosecond before stepping into the room. It was, as promised, a study. It almost looked like a very small library, with walls lined in bookshelves, and a large table set up in front of an enormous window. There was a chair behind that table; though the back of the chair was to them, Umi could see the top of someone's head, someone sitting in that chair.

At Umi's side, Aeric dropped to one knee in reverence. "Milord, the Magic Knight."

"Thank you, Aeric. Leave us," the voice came from the chair. It was not quite as deep as the general's, but it held even more command and more authority. Aeric obeyed that voice, backing out of the room. The doors closed behind him, leaving Umi alone with the stranger in the chair.

The room was still for a moment. Then the chair spun around slowly, and Umi got her first look at 'milord,' the one she had deduced as being their true enemy. Her captor.

And her jaw nearly dropped.

She had been expecting someone more like Lady Debonair or one of the villainous monsters she had seen in movies. She had prepared herself for some evil being, with an appearance to match the darkness of the heart. She had expected hideousness, deformity, and all other things so often associated with evil beings.

What she definitely _hadn't_ expected was for her enemy to be so…well, the only word to describe him was _beautiful_. As he stood and moved from behind the desk, her initial impression was confirmed. He was, indeed, stunning.

Had he lived on Earth, he could have easily been a model. Sandy blonde hair fell charmingly over handsome, chiseled features that would have made most women swoon. An amiable smile seemed quite at home on that striking face. And his ensemble didn't hurt him any; he was clad in what looked like some sort of uniform. It was maroon, with charcoal-gray insets and a long gray stripe running up the side of each pant leg. The ensemble was trimmed and decorated in gold braid, and added to the overall feeling of authority and power that he radiated.

"So this is the Knight of Selece," he said, the same smooth, authoritative voice that had ordered Aeric from the room. He moved towards her casually, his hands clasped behind his back. "Welcome to my humble abode, Lady Magic Knight."

Umi found herself proven right; being called that _did_ get very annoying after a while. "My name is Umi." She didn't like the idea of giving this man her name, but she wanted to see his reaction.

He looked amused. "Very well. Lady Umi, then. I do apologize for my men's behavior upon your arrival here. They have been punished." Something about the way he said that sent chills down her spine, and she remembered what had befallen the man who had attacked her in her prison. Aeric had referred to his death as nothing more than a punishment. He went on, "I understand you were injured when you arrived. I do apologize. They were not to harm you. But you seem in good healthy now."

Umi decided on a neutral, "I'm fine." It seemed the best answer.

"Strange, though," he said a little too casually. "I always thought it was the Knight of Windam who possessed the capacity for healing magics." One blonde eyebrow arched in mock-surprise. "Or was I mistaken in that belief?"

Umi ignored the question and ventured with one of her own. "You know my name and who I am, but I have yet to learn anything about you." She was both surprised and pleased at the icy undertone that crept into her voice. She had no intention of making anything easy for her captor.

"Oh, my apologies, dear lady!" he feigned mortification at his apparent lack of manners, and then dipped low in a bow, much as Aeric had. "I am known as Xander. This is my home, my domain. All who abide here are under my orders."

"Why am I here?" she demanded. "Why did you kidnap me?"

"Ouch!" the man, Xander, clapped one hand to his forehead and the other to his heart, as though somehow physically injured by her words. "You wound me, my dear. But I must admit that I brought you here for a reason." He took another step towards her, and Umi suddenly felt the urge to bolt, though there was nowhere to go. "You…fascinate me, lovely one."

Umi willed herself not to move; she carefully schooled her expression to the one she had so often used while repelling the unwanted advances of her fellow college students. It was a cool expression with the slightest touch of a hard edge, and when used properly, had proven time and time again to be capable of warding off the most unwelcome of overtures.

"I have never seen one like you before," he went on in a voice that was too smooth to be real. Nothing about this man seemed real; everything seemed to go skin deep and no further, like a mask to be changed at will. "Stubborn, willful, strong…and yet so very beautiful…"

One hand shot out in a lightning-fast move and cupped her chin, turning her face to look up at him. She resisted the almost overwhelming urge to spit in his face, knowing that it wouldn't improve her situation any. Instead, she simply took a closer look at his face. He proved, indeed, to be breathtakingly handsome. But she realized something unnerving: his eyes were not normal human eyes. They were dark gray, just a shade or two lighter than black, and were slitted, like a cat's. And they were watching her with a sort of hunger that made her sick.

The hand on her chin tightened a bit, and she realized that his fingers were like ice.

"I would appreciate it if you would maintain your distance," she said coolly.

He smirked. "Oh, be nice." He was close enough that she could feel his breath on her face.

"Give me one good reason to be nice, and I'll consider it," she snapped, giving into her urge and pulling away from his touch. He was so slimy, disgusting, worse than even the creepiest of boys she had encountered in her life.

But rather than becoming angry, the man who called himself Xander almost seemed amused. "Never fear, lovely one. We will have time later to get to know one another. I think it will be great fun." Again, she felt the urge to vomit, and restrained it. "But you must be tired. I think it would do you good to rest a while." He snapped his fingers, and the door opened. Aeric appeared, and Xander barked an order. "Take Lady Umi to her room."

"Of course," the general bowed, and a moment later, Umi found herself being whisked away from the study by Aeric's hand on her upper arm. The door to the room closed behind her. "If you'll come with me, Lady Umi, I'll show you where you'll be staying."

They went back through the corridors of the palace, twisting and turning at least as many times as they had when she had been brought here from the prison. And naturally, she assumed that Aeric was taking her back there—she was a prisoner, was she not?

But the surprises continued to pile up, as they stopped in front of a door that was decidedly not the one she had been locked behind earlier. For starters, there was no bar-covered window cut into it. And when he opened the door, she found herself to be proven right.

As a child of wealth, Umi had long since developed an eye for the finer things in life. She had a pretty decent knack for telling when something was worth more than run-of-the-mill. And this room had her 'value' radar going off the scale. It was palatial. Royal.

She stepped inside as Aeric spoke. "I regret to inform you that I have been instructed to lock the door behind you, Lady Umi. I will send someone up to attend to you and prepare you for dinner."

Umi whirled. "Dinner?" But the question came too late, as the door had shut behind her, and a second later she heard a click as it was locked. She was, once again, imprisoned. But on the bright side, this gave her a good opportunity to look around her new accommodations.

The 'room' was actually more like a suite. There was a main room, which she was standing in, that seemed to branch off into two other rooms that she could see. This main room was comparable to a living room; it was adorned with a long couch and several enormous plush chairs. There were a few small, low tables placed strategically around, with flowers adorning some of them. There was some sort of thick, soft rug on the floor, and the walls were decorated with tapestries, depicting stories that reminded her of the fairy tales she had been told as a child. And everything in the room was blue, ranging in shade from light enough to be white to dark enough to be black.

In a bit of a daze, she walked through an arched doorway to the second part of her suite—a bedroom. The bed in the middle of the room was quite large, and had a veritable mountain of pillows piled on it. A table stood on each side of the head of the bed, each bearing a vase of flowers. There was a chair in the corner, and a large window, through which sunlight poured into the room. It added to the color scheme—this room was decorated in cheerful yellow, from the bedding to the flowers on the nightstands.

And there was another doorway in this room; she poked her head through that one to see that it seemed to be this world's equivalent of a bathroom. It was done up in soft pink and flowers.

Now becoming quite interested in spite of herself, she darted back across the living room and through the other doorway. This time, she found herself in what appeared to be a dressing room. This room was wood-paneled, and boasted a claw-footed wardrobe and matching vanity table with enormous mirror. The table was littered with various little things, and a box that looked like a jewelry box. By one wall, there was even an old-fashioned dressing screen propped up.

Torn between being amused and confused, Umi walked back into the main room and dropped into one of the huge blue chairs. It was plushy, and incredibly comfortable, perfect for sitting and pondering.

She had awakened in a dungeon, about to be assaulted by some sort of underling.

And now she had been confined to a royal suite.

What did this mean? What was going to happen?

_o_

_o_

"We've got to do something!"

"What can we do? We don't know where she is!"

"I don't want to just sit here!"

"We have to rescue her! NOW!"

"What about the mashin?"

"We're assuming that she's even alive anymore."

"Shut up, you idiot!"

"EVERYONE BE QUIET!"

That last was, of all people, Lantis, in a rare show of temper. And it worked—the room lapsed into a sullen silence. Hikaru glared at him through tear-filled eyes, but her expression softened as he put a comforting arm around her shoulders. Fuu was nestled between Caldina and Presea, and had yet to even look at Ferio, who was trying to at least catch her eye.

With the room quieted, Guru Clef took center stage. "We must work together and think as a team if we are going to get anywhere. First, it would be nice if we knew whether or not she's…alive." He actually choked a little on that last word, and it surprised everyone, himself included.

"_Perhaps we can help."_

Everyone jumped, except for Hikaru and Fuu, who by now were quite accustomed to those voices popping into their heads at unexpected moments. It was unusual for the mashin to address anyone other than their chosen Knights, but given the circumstances, it shouldn't have been that surprising.

Hikaru tilted her chin upwards. "Rayearth?"

"_My Knight lives," _this time, it was Selece's own voice that echoed into the hall. "_Umi is fine. She is imprisoned, but unharmed. I am trying to contact her, but something is blocking me at the moment."_

"Is she all right?" Presea asked. "She was hit with an arrow before they took her. Has it been treated? Did she take a fever from it?" The artisan would have continued in her rush of words had Caldina not placed a comforting hand on the blonde woman's arm to calm her down.

"_She took wound-fever," _Selece went on. "_However, she was cared for by…another."_

Something about the way he said that last struck a nerve with Fuu, and she made a mental note to ask a few choice questions of her own mashin at a later time. Instead, she said, "So she's all right? But for how long? I mean, what possible reason could they have to keep her alive?"

"_Unbelievable as it may seem, they have a very good reason to keep Umi alive," _Windam cut in to answer his Knight's question. "_They will not kill her. However, as Umi herself has realized, there are things worse than death."_

There was silence as the implications of that statement sunk in.

"Selece, can you keep us posted?" Lantis asked. "If there is any change, would you tell us?"

"_What do you think?" _Selece retorted.

Hikaru almost giggled in spite of herself. "I take that as a yes?"

"_Humans."_ Everyone could almost _hear_ the mashin rolling his proverbial eyes.

"_We leave you to your decision," _Rayearth thundered again. "_And we will be your eyes."_

The presence in the room seemed to vanish as the three mashin withdrew to hold their own counsel. Hikaru turned to Fuu. "Was it just me, or was Selece talking an awful lot like Umi?"

"ANYWAY!" Clef barked. "What do we do? Do we try and find her, to attempt a rescue? Or should we let it be, and see what happens because of it? Bear in mind that we have no clue as to where she is, and even if we could find her, I have to believe that as a Magic Knight, she would be heavily guarded."

And the room descended into argument once again. Everyone felt that something had to be done, but reason was impairing them greatly. They didn't know where she was. They had nothing to go on. So while emotion said to go marching in to save their friend, rational thought said that to do such a thing was at best, foolish, and at worse, downright impossible.

After about twenty minutes of arguing, the meeting broke up, as everyone was too worked up to reach any sort of solution. They resolved to each separate for a while, then reconvene and work to try and figure out a course of action.

As soon as the word was given, Fuu rocketed away, sprinting off for parts unknown.

Ferio followed. He'd spent the entire meeting trying to catch her eye, and he had planned to try and catch her after the assembly had departed, but she had taken off. And now he followed her, trying to catch up. He just wanted to talk to her, but she had been avoiding him like a plague.

And now, something else stepped into his path.

Namely, a very irate Takeshi, who gave the Cephirean Prince a look that would have withered far weaker men then Ferio. "And where do you think you're going?" he growled. "Don't you think you've done enough damage to her?"

Ferio tried to retaliate. By all accounts, he should have been angry at the insinuations in those statements, but instead, he just…deflated. "I have no excuses. I should've told her. I just…I just want to talk to her. Is that wrong?"

For whatever reason, Takeshi softened a little, and sighed. "You know, I'm pretty damn protective of those girls." The young man from Earth leaned against the wall, his arms folded over his chest. "I've known Umi and Kagura longer than I've known Hikaru and Fuu, but all four of them are like sisters to me. And nothing pisses me off like one of them getting hurt." One blue eye turned a glare on Ferio. "And you broke her heart because you couldn't tell her the truth."

The words stung, but Ferio didn't argue with them. "I know. I'm scum. I…" He paused, then chuckled sadly. "I probably don't deserve her anymore. It's just…it's just that it had been so long. Years had gone by. And Fuu, and the Magic Knights…we hadn't seen them. They hadn't come back for all that time…" His shoulders slumped in defeat and sadness. "We all just kind of…gave up, I guess. I really didn't think I was ever going to see her again. That's the only reason I let this Caliana thing go ahead. If I'd known…" The thought trailed off.

Takeshi listened silently, and finally he replied, "I can understand that…but that doesn't change the fact that you should have told her the truth. And now, I think you need to tell her the truth. Although," his tone hardened, "given what I've seen, I'm not sure if you're worthy."

To his surprise, Ferio lifted his chin and stared Takeshi right in the eye. Amber-brown meeting sky-blue. "I would die for her. I would do anything for her. _I LOVE HER, DAMMIT!_" That last was a shout, and Ferio was left breathing heavily from emotion.

For a long moment, Takeshi was silent, contemplating this. Then he actually smiled, and nodded. "For the moment, you pass. Now you need to talk to her. And I know she's avoiding you. So you're going to have your work cut out for you." He sighed. "I don't think there's much I can do to help."

_o_

_o_

One of Ascot's friends gave him a quizzical look as he walked into the orchard, but Ascot ignored it. Instead, he went straight to his favorite tree and plopped down unceremoniously in its shade. This was his favorite spot to think, and right now, he just wanted to calm down.

Hadn't he felt like this before? Ah, yes, he had. Umi had been taken by Chizeta that once, a long time ago. He had felt it then, and he felt it now, that terrible weakness, the utter helplessness of once again being unable to protect his beloved.

Yes, _beloved_.

He'd tried to forget her, and for a while, he was certain he had succeeded. Then BOOM, she had fallen right back into his life, and she brought with her those same old feelings. His heart surged just thinking about her. She had changed so much, and yet was the same person; she was still the girl who had slapped him across the face to get his attention, and yet was an entirely different person.

And he was too stupid to tell her the truth.

Sometimes he wished he was more like Caldina, his adoptive sister. She couldn't care less what anyone thought, and had a penchant for simply saying whatever happened to be on her mind, no matter how outlandish or whatnot. But she got the job done: when she had something she wanted to tell someone, she said it and that was that. However the other person handled it was their business, then.

It was a gift, and he didn't possess it.

One of his friends, a small cat-like creature, crawled up next to him, mewing softly out of concern. He absently patted the being's head and sighed.

_Umi…_

_o_

_o_

"_One of the Magic Knights has been imprisoned by an enemy of Cephiro…"_

As the door closed behind her advisor, Caliana mulled over the proclamation he had made only moments ago. Umi, the Knight of Selece, was gone—taken captive. And everyone was in an absolute furor over it. Plans for the union and diplomatic matters were going on the back burner for the moment, as Cephiro's higher-ups scrambled to retrieve their lost hero.

By all accounts, she didn't think the news should have inspired any sort of real reaction in her. She had actually spoken with the girl all of one time, and other than occasionally seeing her sauntering around the palace, hadn't had any contact with her. There was no real reason for her to feel anything, she thought, except perhaps pity at the young lady's unenviable fate.

Yet, strangely enough, she felt several things, a mixed bag. There was pity, yes, but also worry, and even a touch of fear for what would befall the Legendary Magic Knight. And she didn't understand why she would feel that way. At first, at least.

But Caliana had been given much time for thought lately, as she had been hiding out in her rooms for the last couple of days. The reason for her isolation? It seemed that the Magic Knights were furious over her engagement to Ferio, and were out for her blood. Or rather, they seemed angrier that they had not been told, and were outraged over the way in which the news had been broken.

She recalled being confronted by Hikaru in a corridor of the palace—that was the girl's name, wasn't it? Yes, Hikaru, the Knight of Rayearth. She had caught up to Caliana with sword in hand; the girl's face was the same vibrant shade of red as her hair, and her eyes had been blazing with anger. She had said a lot of things in a rush, enraged. And Caliana hadn't been able to forget some of the things said.

From Hikaru's impassioned speech, the Aldarbian Princess had been able to glean a few things. First of all and most importantly, the Knight was not angry for herself, but rather for her companion. The name 'Fuu' had been mentioned repeated. And she was furious at the fact that this news had been hidden from them, as well as the manner in which they had received the news.

But it was Fuu that the topic always returned to. The Knight of Windam, the girl with the green eyes that Caliana had spoken to in the hallway. The one she had told the truth to. And, from what she had picked up by reading carefully between the lines, had some sort of relationship with the Cephirean Prince.

Ferio…

Caliana took a moment to think on her intended. Her arrival in Cephiro marked the first time she had seen the man she was to form a union with to cement into place an alliance between their countries. She understood that she was here, doing this, to help her people, but…

The Prince was handsome, there was no arguing or denying that. And by all accounts that she had heard, he was a good person, kind and caring. But the fact remained—she didn't know him. For all that she knew _of_ him, she did not know _him_.

As the only heir to the Aldarbian throne, Caliana had an enormous responsibility to her family, her parents, and her people. She would rule her country someday; she had been prepared for it all her life. And as such, it was her duty to seal this alliance, no matter how much it grieved her.

Her thoughts trailed back to the Green Knight. She had seen the flicker in her eyes, the only sign of emotion that Fuu had allowed herself. Just a brief flash of emotion that betrayed her pain. After the truth had been told, she had absented herself quickly, claiming that she had tasks to attend to. It was only later that Caliana had discovered that with a few offhand words, she had unknowingly broken someone's heart.

What was this girl's relationship with Ferio? What did she feel towards him? And, more importantly, what were Ferio's feelings towards her? If she had been so shattered at the prospect of losing him, then there was undoubtedly something there. How long had it been there?

She felt lost, much as she had when her father had informed her of the alliance-union. It was the same feeling she'd had when she'd come into the Cephirean palace. She knew she could have probably been a little more friendly, but…

It was a cage, a gilded cage. A bejeweled trap that Caliana wasn't sure she could break out of. So best to just deal with the situation as best she could.

She had a responsibility, and she would hold to it. It was that simple.

_o_

_o_

Umi paced back and forth. She was an imprisoned jungle cat, and this spacious suite was her cage. She had to get out of there or she was likely to go stark-raving mad. What was going to happen to her here? The stranger of shadow had told her that her life, at least, was safe; for whatever reason, Xander could not kill her. A small comfort, to say the least.

Finally, she forced herself to stop walking around, and dropped into one of the overly comfortable chairs again. And she willed herself not to move from that spot. She was only freaking herself out, making herself more and more nervous. That would accomplish nothing, except to make her more vulnerable.

A few deep breaths did a surprising amount to clear her head. And she actually felt herself start to relax a little. She would be okay, she would make it out of this in one piece.

Suddenly, she felt the familiar presence touch her mind, and the tension fled. "Selece…" she murmured, inordinately relieved that she was no longer completely alone in this horrid place.

"_Are you well?" _the mashin's commanding voice boomed into her mind, tinged with an odd combination of worry and relief.

"I'm fine for the moment," she whispered back, not wanting anyone to overhear and think her crazy. "But they took my sword. I can't call on you if I need help." Somehow, that made her feel guilty.

"_Do not worry," _he replied. "_Your friends know you are here, and they are trying to form some sort of plan. It might prove difficult, because I can't actually find you. You are blocked from me."_

"Ugh…this sucks…" she heaved a sigh.

"_I agree."_

Umi very nearly choked.

"_But it is how it is for the moment. I can tell you, however, that you are not alone there. I am certain of it—you will find an ally to stand beside you while we work to free you."_

"Thank you," Umi said gratefully. As Selece's presence withdrew from her mind, she had a thought: he had said she would find an ally. Hadn't the shadow-woman said the same thing? She trusted both of them, so she decided that she was certain to find a friend here. And that was a comforting thought.

The rap on the door shook all relaxation from her, and she leapt to her feet as every muscle once again tensed in a panic. She paused to steady herself, and called, "Yes?"

The door opened, and a young woman entered. "Milady, is there anything you need?"

Umi was a little taken aback. She had expected perhaps Xander, or Aeric, or maybe even another guard who had not been informed that she was not to be harmed. Instead, the person standing there looked barely Umi's own age! She was a pretty young thing, with dark hair twisted up into a complicated-looking braided style on the back of her head, and blue eyes that were wide and huge in her face. Her outfit was fairly nondescript and looked to be that of a servant: a plain, floor-length, charcoal-gray dress with long sleeves and a high collar, and a crisp white apron over it. Her hands were clasped demurely together in front of her as she waited.

"Who are you?" Umi asked.

"My name is Tama, milady," the girl bounced up and down in a quick curtsy, not raising her eyes from the floor. "I was sent by milord to attend to you, should you need anything at all."

A maid? She was being given a maid? Wasn't she a prisoner? Nothing was adding up. It was like he wanted to charm her into something. What the hell was going on here? But she didn't voice those thoughts; instead, she simply gestured for the girl to come into the room and said, "Please come in, make yourself comfortable." Tama obediently stepped a little closer to the middle of the room, where she stood stiffly, still waiting for an order.

Umi sighed. "Relax, please." The tiniest bit of tension left the girl's shoulders. "And I don't need anything right now, except some company. Have a seat." She gestured towards a chair, hoping desperately that the maid would take it. She could really use the company.

Tama inched towards it, and lowered herself into it slowly, as though she was afraid she would break it. "I hope the room is to your liking, milady," she intoned.

"Umi. My name is Umi," the Knight said; she was getting tired of being Lady-ed and such. It just wasn't her style. "How old are you, Tama? How long have you been here?"

"Eighteen, mila—Umi," Tama answered softly. She looked a little uncomfortable at the amount of attention she was suddenly receiving. "I've been a maid here for about a month. 'Tis better than being on the streets. I stay out of sight, and work hard."

"I imagine," Umi said, wondering exactly what the working conditions were like that Tama would think to mention specifically that she tried to 'stay out of sight.' "Well, I won't work you hard. I usually do things myself. But I hope you'll hang out around here." A thought was wriggling in her mind—could this be the friend she had been foretold of? Any ally was as good as gold, and Tama seemed like a nice, if slightly frightened, girl.

"Mila—Umi," she caught herself again, "is it true that you're a Magic Knight?" When Umi nodded, a faint flash of hero-worship surged into the girl's eyes. "Oh, that must be so exciting!"

"It is, but it's also dangerous," Umi almost giggled.

"And what of the mashin? What are they like? Are they as big as in the legends?" Tama obviously was fascinated by the legend, and bringing that up as a topic seemed to bring her a little out of her shell. For the next ten minutes, Umi answered questions and recounted a few stories about the exploits of her and her friends in Cephiro.

After a while, Tama suddenly jumped up; she looked alarmed. "By the gods! I nearly lost track of the time! We must get you ready for dinner!" Such simple words, yet they managed to spark World War III as Umi demanded to know what she meant by 'ready for dinner.' "Milord wants you to join him for his meal this evening. And he asked that you dress."

Umi knew what that meant—she was supposed to get dolled up for the occasion. And she didn't like it. "I don't want to go to dinner. I want nothing to do with that man. So sorry, but no." She folded her arms and turned her head away. She was acting like a perfect brat, but she was furious—he imprisoned her, took her sword and magic, tried to hit on her thirty seconds after being introduced, and THEN he had the nerve to insist she dine with him? No thank you.

She was a little startled, though, to see the look of horror on Tama's face, and she questioned it. The maid shook her head, "N-nothing, miss…it's just…" Her voice trailed off.

After a minute, comprehension dawned. "If I refuse…you pay the price, don't you?" Umi asked, feeling sick as Tama nodded. Having seen a few examples of what 'punishment' meant in this place, she made her decision. "All right, I'll go. But I'm not doing this for him."

The look on Tama's face brightened the entire room. "Oh, thank you! Thank you!"

Umi sighed, resigning herself to this fate. "So what am I supposed to wear?"

"In here," Tama led her into the room with the wood paneling and the vanity table. She crossed to the wardrobe and threw open the doors to reveal it was almost overflowing with multi-colored fabrics which, on closer inspection, proved to be clothing, like the ball gowns Umi had seen in picture books and fairy tales as a little girl. Had the situation not been so serious, she would have been delighted.

But given the situation, she paused. She stepped a little closer, and tried to feel. Her instincts, sharpened by her adventures and experiences, were sound, and if there was something in those dresses along the lines of magic, she would feel it. But her senses picked up nothing, and she decided that it was all right. Thus reassured, she reached inside, and began flipping through dresses.

Her inner diva came to the fore, and she realized she was having fun. Each new dress brought to mind another one of her friends. A half-length red number—it screamed Hikaru. Lantis would die of a nosebleed. A slinky, floor length ensemble with a matching wrap, forest green in color—she wondered how Ferio (the jerk) would react if he saw Fuu in that. Probably lose his jaw.

One of deep purple silk—Kagura's color. She could see her longtime friend in that with her hair done—and every male within a ten mile radius following her. It was amusing, really. And one was an odd orange-ish color—she wondered if it would suit Presea.

But then her hands closed around one in pale yellow, and she withdrew it to take a better look at it. It was floor length, with a fitted bodice and full skirt. It was a color Umi knew would never look good on her. But maybe…

Her practiced eye, well trained with color and style turned on Tama.

Xander could wait. If Umi was going to be stuck here, might as well amuse herself.

_o_

_o_

"Fuu!"

Before she could bolt, a hand closed around her upper arm, just above the elbow, effectively stopping her flight. She tried not to shake, and allowed herself to be turned back around. She managed to keep her expression relatively neutral.

"Hello, Ferio," she said coolly, proud that her voice didn't even tremble a little bit.

He looked hurt, but he didn't let go of her arm. When he spoke, he sounded frantic and embarassed. "I've been trying to talk you, but you keep avoiding me."

"I thought you would be with your fiancee," Fuu snapped, letting some of her real anger show. Inwardly, though, she was desperately trying not to cry again. She had other things to worry about—her best friend was a prisoner, two worlds were facing potential destruction, and she was worrying about her love life. What a world.

Ferio was starting to see red. He knew she didn't mean it—she was angry, and she had every right to be. But the words still stung, like hailstones lashing against him, and her uncharacterisitic behavior, her unwillingness to listen made his temper flare. "Would you stop it! You're not being fair! You're not even giving me a chance to explain!"

"What? That you didn't even have the nerve to tell me the truth?" she was mortified when her voice cracked a little. The shell was breaking a little more with each second she stayed. She needed to get away from him before he saw more than she wanted him to.

His grip on her arm tightened and he lost his cool enough to actually give her a shake. "Fuu, stop it! This isn't like you! Would you just listen to me?"

"Let go!" she wrenched her arm away and stepped back. "I hope you and Caliana are very happy together, Ferio." She started to move away.

"Fuu—"

"Just leave me the hell alone!" The instant the words were out of her mouth, she wished she could just snatch them back and lock them away somewhere, so they would never again see the light of day. But it was too late. She'd gone too far.

Ferio froze, and looked at her with cold eyes. Then the expression on his face shifted a little bit, into something she couldn't read. "Oh, believe me, I think I could make this into an even bigger mess if I just did what I wanted to do."

"What you want to do," Fuu actually rolled her eyes. Maybe if she was awful enough, he would just leave so she could go cry in peace. "I don't see how you could possibly make a bigger mess out of this then you already—"

And that was as far as she got before she was cut off. One of Ferio's hands flew to her shoulder; the other gripped one of her wrists and pushed her back hard against the wall. She had less than a second to process the fact that she was pinned before Ferio's lips crashed down on hers.

For a second-long eternity, Fuu became incapable of breathing. The world around her vanished. The wall behind her back, the corridor in which they stood, and the landscape beyond the windows ceased to exist. There was only the sound of her heart hammering, the touch of his fingers on her wrist, the tingling warmth of the kiss, the carress of his lips against hers.

He had kissed her that first night, when they had been whisked back to Cephiro by Mokona to save their lives. But it had been different that night, so very different. That had been sweet, innocent, a far cry from this. This was pure, ragged passion, the forbidden fruit dangling on the tree. And it elicited a response from her that was so powerful, it frightened her.

And he broke it off, but lingered for a moment, their noses brushing; she could feel his quickened breath on her face. Her eyes opened halfway, and met his beautiful amber gaze squarely. And she suddenly wished that he wouldn't move. If time could stop…

Unfortunately, it couldn't.

Ferio released her, loosing his grip on her shoulder and releasing his hold on her wrist; her arm fell back to her side. He took a step back, not moving his eyes from her. She could have sworn she saw something glittering wetly there, but before she could say anything, he had turned and started walking down the corridor. His footsteps were hurried, just a hair shy of jogging.

As he all but ran off, Fuu slid down the wall to curl up on the floor. Her heart was still pounding, and that desperate warmth was still on her lips. Her wrist tingled where his hand had held her…

She put her face in her hands. Umi was gone, Ferio was all but gone—and she had probably just driven him away, through her angry, hateful words. Unable to restrain it any longer, Fuu let loose the floodgates, and wept.

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**AN: **Whew…another chapter. A very LONG chapter. Almost a ten thousand word chapter!

I don't feel like we actually had much development in this story, plot-wise (save for that we finally got to meet Mr. Bad Guy, who I think is just deliciously evil). But we get a good chunk of emotion, and a lot of description, and I think that's important. If you've ever read any of my other fics, I usually tend to just dive into things, and I'm trying to go a little more slowly with this one. I think I've got the pace right. Plus, I had a TON of fun describing her room.

Oh yeah, and I read somewhere that Caliana's name actually means 'princess.' I try to make names fit. Does everyone still hate her? Honestly, I like her. And there's still a lot of development for her. Oh yeah, and I'm trying to give Selece a little more personality. It's fun to make him sarcastic.

Okay, **teh NEZUMI **sent me an awesome review that inspired me, so as a **FIFTY REVIEW SPECIAL**, I'm adding an Omake ending to this chapter::waves flag: YAY! The joke at the end is based on a running gag between my friend **Fred the Mutant Pickle** and I—Austin died again. Austin is a person we know, the most annoying person ever, and one day, Fred decided it would be fun to just kill Austin off a few times. Hence, "Austin died again." It's an inside joke, but I hope you'll find it amusing nonetheless.

This is intended to be stupid. Think of this as an outtake or something from the last chapter, where Umi and Hikaru are chasing after Caliana and Ferio to kill. Oh, and since teh NEZUMI gave me the idea, you get a cameo::throws flowers:

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**Omake**

Umi, Kagura, and Hikaru were sitting around, doing stuff.

Suddenly, Fuu rushed in, crying. She threw her arms around Umi's neck and cried and cried.

"Umm…I'm guessing something's wrong," Hikaru said, feeling intelligent. Umi, meanwhile, struggled valiantly to breathe while Fuu was unwittingly strangling her in lieu of a comforting hug.

"He's getting married! Ferio's engaged!" Fuu sobbed.

"WHAT?" Hikaru and Kagura screeched, breaking several windows.

Umi's face had turned the color of her hair.

"Caliana just told me. She's here to marry Ferio!" Fuu went on.

"Oh no!" Kagura said. "We've gotta do something!"

And finally, Umi lost the battle and collapsed dead in Fuu's arms.

Fuu didn't notice.

"This calls for drastic action!" Hikaru crowed.

Suddenly, teh NEZUMI ran in. "Here, I bring you weapons!" She hands Hikaru a scythe, Kagura a few ice-filled water balloons, and Umi a taiser. Umi, by the way, had been miraculously revived from death by the Magical Powers of the Author. Have some respect for the omnipotence, here!

Anyway, thus armed, they left and went to find Ferio. They killed him. Brutally. Then they tracked down Caliana and killed her too. Then they revived Alcyone and killed her too, just for a lark.

And then, suddenly, a guy named Austin fell into the palace and started trying to pet Umi's hair because that's what Austin does. Thinking he was an enemy (and already knowing for certain that he was really freakin' annoying), they killed him too.

So Austin died again.

Then Fuu took over Cephiro and made it into a happy place full of bunnies, flowers, chocolate, and ponies. The only thing wrong was that no one could stand to live there for more than a few hours before going completely crazy. And they all lived happily ever after.

THE END!

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**Next chapter: **Umi decides that sitting around and waiting for rescue is NOT in the cards.


	8. Umi's Escape

**AN: **Okay, for whatever reason, isn't too keen on my section dividers within chapters, and it's starting to get rather irritating. sigh So I'll be messing around with it for a while, improvising, trying to figure out what works best, because I tend to have a lot of sections within each chapter, in case you hadn't noticed by now. Sorry it took a little time to get this chapter done. School is starting up again, so a good portion of my time has gone straight out da window.

Anyhoo, another chapter, nice and long. Hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I'm enjoying writing it. On we go! I don't own Magic Knight Rayearth. The manga goddesses CLAMP do. Enjoy!

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**Umi's Escape**

Tama continued to protest, but her weak disclaimers were falling on deaf ears. Umi would have none of it, insisting that if she was going to be stuck here, she was going to do it on her terms. Besides, things like this always helped to relax her. It gave her something to focus her attention on, diverting it away from the situation at hand. Given that she couldn't do very much about her situation at the present moment, it was a welcome distraction.

And so it was with no small amount of glee that Umi all but ordered her panicked maid-servant into one of the dresses that hung in the wardrobe. It was a pale yellow, with a daring bodice covered in detailed beadwork, and a very full skirt. Umi knew full well that it was one color she would never be able to wear (and look good in), but her trained eye had seen the potential for the look on Tama. And so she had joyously set about making over her maid.

Finally, the serving girl acquiesed, and slipped behind the dressing screen to change, as per her instructions. There was a rustling sound as fabric moved against fabric and flesh, but finally, she emerged, pretty face flushed crimson with embarassment, and one hand reached behind her back to grasp at some ties that she couldn't quite get tied by herself.

Umi reached over and took care of the ties—simple silk cords that criss-crossed up the upper part of her back. Then she stepped back, too a good look—and clapped her hands in utter delight. "I knew that color would look fabulous on you! I just knew it! And now," her eyes narrowed, taking on an almost sinister look to them, "the hair, the make-up, maybe some jewelry…"

Tama's expression went from mildly humiliated to horrified. "Oh, no! I couldn't!"

The Magic Knight raised a hand, silencing the protests. "If there is any sin in this, it's on my head. I ordered you into it, you're just doing what I told you. Okay? Okay! Now have a seat!" She pointed to the small stool standing beside the vanity table. Tama obeyed meekly, and Umi took a stance behind her. "I'm going to let your hair down, okay?"

A nod was her only response, and she went to work.

There were surprisingly few pins holding the amazingly complex braided style in place. Her hair had been braided into five braids, and they had all been woven together into a tight bundle on the back of her head. Once those few pins were pulled out, the brads tumbled free, and in short order her dark brown locks were free from the confining twists; it was wavy from the tight braids.

Umi was openly amazed at the girl's hair. It was nearly as long as her own! Tama must have noticed Umi's expression in the mirror, because she blushed and said softly, "It's my one vanity, milady. Ev'ry girl should have one."

"I agree, one hundred percent. And you have beautiful hair," Umi selected a brush. "Let's see what we can do with it!" And she set to work, brushing, separating, bending the long strands to her will.

She was thankful that her hands were occupied with something that was, for her, so mundane. How many times had she arranged Kagura's rebellious locks into something fit for royalty? They were both the children of wealthier parents, so black-tie events and the preparations required for such things were no stranger to them. Hikaru, Fuu—both of them had fallen prey at some point or another to her styling urges. She barely needed to think about it anymore, which gave her mind free reign to wander where it would.

She was imprisoned in a palatial suite by a man who was so incredibly beautiful…and yet so slimy, so despicable. Just thinking about the small advances he had made in the two minutes she had spent in his company made her cringe and shiver. Xander—their enemy, and her captor. And, as it would seem, her dining companion for the evening's meal. Not an ideal situation by any means.

But maybe…Umi's mind was racing as she chose an ornamented hairpin and wove it into the black-brown strands. Maybe if she played her cards right and asked the right questions tonight, she could get some answers. That was her plan. But first, she was going to have a little fun.

Before she'd even realized it, there was no hair left in her hands; it had all been styled up into a simple, but complex-looking arrangement. She immediately spun Tama around and set to work on the poor girl's face. And Tama flushed at the attention. "Milady—Umi," she corrected herself hurriedly. "Why are you wasting your time on me? I'm naught but a maid…" She looked a little miserable.

"Because I'm tense, I need to relax, and you look great," Umi's reply was terse, and the maid fell silent, giving up and giving in, letting the woman she had been assigned to work her magic. And by the time she was finished, Tama looked no less than royal, and Umi was far more calm about her situation. She tended to be fairly spastic by nature, but she had learned the value of cooling down before entering a potentially dangerous situation.

Tama stared in awe at her reflection. "Is that…is that me?" she whispered. One hand slowly moved up to touch her newly-styled hair; the gesture was almost nervous, as though she was afraid that if she even looked at it wrong it would all come tumbling down.

"Yup, that's you! And looking good, if I do say so myself!" Umi nodded, pleased.

For a long moment, Tama seemed engaged with her reflection. But the serenity of the moment was shattered when the maid suddenly looked at the window, and her blue eyes widened in terror. "Ye gods, it's so late!" She rounded on Umi, desperation stamping onto her face. "It's almost time, and you're not ready!" The desperation gave way to terror at what would befall her.

She was silenced by Umi's hand on her shoulder. "I don't want anything to happen to you for my sake. So let's find something for me to wear, shall we?" The look on Tama's face at that moment was one of sheer adoration, and she followed Umi back to the open wardrobe like a puppy dog.

In minutes, Umi had discarded one monochromatic ensemble for another. She shed the head-to-toe black she had been wearing for the night on the town that wasn't, and emerged in a floor length ensemble; she couldn't quite name that shade of blue, it was somewhere between navy and cerulean. It hugged all the right places, revealed just enough to be flattering and alluring without sacrificing modesty, and swept the ground around her. There had been a pair of white elbow-length gloves on a table in there, and they nicely completed the ensemble.

She wondered vaguely what her Cephirean friends would have thought, had they been able to see her. Caldina probably would have done someone bodily injury out of joy alone.

Tama, meanwhile, had used the few moments while Umi had been changing to change out of the yellow gown and back into her charcoal-gray shift and apron. But though she removed the more elaborate hair ornaments, she left the style in, held by a few plain pins.

And Umi again proved herself; Tama barely had to do anything. The Blue Knight had herself looking party-worthy in almost no time at all. It wasn't elaborate, but it was flattering and beautiful. She left her hair down, for the most part—not much else she could do with it, really, given the length. But she did clip a few sections away from her face with two clips bearing something that looked suspiciously like sapphire. She took a look, and nodded, satisfied with her reflection.

"I can't believe I'm actually doing this," she murmured. But better suffer for an hour or so then let something befall an innocent, she decided. A far cry from the child who had first fallen into Cephiro seven years ago, she mused. That Umi probably wouldn't have thought too much beyond 'I don't want to go.'

And just as she straightened, there was a knock on the door. She nodded at Tama, and the maid immediately leapt to answer the summons. And Umi was only mildly surprised to see Aeric standing there. Did he ever shed the armor, she wondered vaguely.

His eyes passed directly over Tama, apparently regarding her as unimportant, and scanned Umi up and down. That far-too-charming smile crossed his face. "A vision, Lady Umi, truly. The stars themselves cannot possibly compare."

He was waxing poetic, and it made her want to gag. He was one of _them_; he was the one who had captured her and brought her here in the first place. And she was fairly certain that he was the one who had left her at the mercy of those men in the dungeon who had beaten her to the point of unconsciousness, and probably would have done more if given the chance. She had a sneaking suspicion, given his earlier explanation, that he had most likely come back down to the dungeon and happened upon the assault; if she was harmed, she guessed it was his own neck on the line. Naturally, he would step in to protect _that_.

Umi decided that she would control the only thing here she really could—herself. She made a quick decision and opted for the civil approach. Polite, but by no means friendly. Her eyes, ears, and instincts would be open to even the slightest nuance of a hint, a clue, anything.

And she was desperately curious to know why her unknown protector had said that her captors would not kill her. She assumed that they would keep her alive as a hostage. But if that's all there was to it, then why keep her in such luxury? It was almost as if he was trying to convince her to stay without coming right out and saying as much. Or charm something out of her.

Aeric extended an arm to her. She ignored it for a moment and turned to Tama. "I would appreciate it if you would wait here for me. I might need some help when I get back." Truthfully, she just didn't want to be alone in this place, and she sincerely hoped the maid would understand that.

Thankfully, Tama nodded, and bobbed in a curtsy. "Of course, milady." Under Aeric's watchful eyes, it was once again back to the utmost formalities. "I'll just tidy up a bit."

"Wonderful," Umi smiled, then turned back to the general. He was waiting with something that barely bore a resemblance to patience. "If it's time…" She took the proffered arm and was whisked out of the room, down a staircase, towards her doom.

"Why pay so much attention to a servant?" he sniffed at one point along the way.

She knew he was referring to her exchange with Tama, and she came back immediately with, "Why not? She was sent to me. Does that mean I can't talk to her?" She raised an eyebrow. "You call him your lord. Doesn't that make you a servant as well?"

Strangely, he did not retort to that as they swept into an enormous hall with a table in the middle that seemed to be miles long. It looked like something out of a movie, where the royal family would dine, one person at each end of the table. And standing beside the table was her captor and host, Xander.

He turned as she entered, and an incredibly genuine smile came to the handsome face. "Welcome, Lady Umi. I'm so pleased you could join me." His eyes drifted up and down over her form, and she was inordinately proud that she did not shudder under that frightening gaze. "And my goodness, what a change! Far most suitable than what you were brought here in."

Umi said nothing, and managed not to flinch in disgust when he took one of her hands and kissed it. She didn't miss the sly little look he gave her, either. She just wanted to get this over with and retreat back to Tama's company. The maid was far more agreeable, and lacked that charming façade. She was genuine; this man was not.

She took a seat at one end of the table at his direction, and watched cooly as he took his own seat—at the other end of the absurdly-long table. Umi's eyes darted around, looking for signs of anything amiss. The ever-present Guards were there, but otherwise, there was nothing to hint at any sort of threat.

A man-servant clad in gray set a plate down in front of her beside a goblet that was filled with something dark red. She glanced at the liquid distastefully, then decided that it looked far too much like blood for her to stomach. The food appeared normal enough, but she was too tense to eat; her stomach was twisted into knots and merrily doing backflips. She picked at the food, not really eating.

Most of all, she waited. And finally, her patience was rewarded.

He was on the other end of the long hall. Yet when he spoke to her, the words were crystal clear, as though he was sitting right beside her. "You look lovely, my dear." She bit her tongue to keep from retorting that she wasn't his dear, but merely sat silently as he continued, "I assume the accomodations are up to your standards?"

This was a direct question, and so she replied truthfully, "It's lovely."

"Perhaps I shall stop by, see if they are appropriate."

"I think not," she said quickly, reading his real meaning instantly.

"You wound me, my dear," he said, his voice purest silk.

Umi was quite happy to let silence descend for a long time after that. The same servant came again and whisked her plate away. She had eaten almost nothing. Finally, she summoned her nerve, and spoke, "I want to look around."

Even across the considerable distance between them, she could see his surprise that she would demand anything of him. "Pardon?"

_Not given, _she thought wryly, but instead said, "You seem to think I'm going to be here for quite some time. If that's the case, I want to be able to look around. If I just hang around in that room all the time, I will probably go mad."

Xander seemed to contemplate this, then nodded. "Very well. Tell Aeric to leave your door unlocked. But be warned, my angel," his voice took on a hardened undertone, "remember that some doors are not meant to be opened."

"Of course," she said with honeyed sweetness.

Another bout of silence.

This time, he broke it. "So how are things in Cephiro? It's usually quite lovely around this time of the year, if I remember correctly…"

Something about the way he said it set off an alert. "You've been to Cephiro?"

"Been there?" he chuckled. "Dear-heart, I was born there. I lived there for quite some time." His tone at the end made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. There was no love lost between him and the country she had vowed to protect. She was certain of that now.

She rose suddenly. "It's been delightful, but I think I would like to begin my exploration now. So I bid you good evening." She stepped away from the table and made a beeline for the door as fast as possible without outright running.

"Umi," he called after her, and she stopped in the doorway; she turned to look at him, not even bothering to hide her contempt anymore. He pretended not to notice it, though. "You will be mine."

She quirked a brow and tilted her chin up a little. "We'll see." And she turned her back on him and swept from the room before he could see that she was shaking. Aeric was waiting, and he said nothing, but escorted her back to her suite.

"Your lord has given me the freedom to wander the place," she informed the guard upon reaching her door. "It seems I'll be here for a while, so I'd like to look around a little. Leave the door unlocked."

He smirked, and she had the sudden suspicion that he knew something no one else did. But he bowed. "If you are lost, speak to a Guard, and he will direct you. Should you require anything not immediately available, ring that bell, and someone will bring you whatever you need." With that, he whisked himself out of her room, leaving the door not only unlocked, but partially ajar, like an invitation to go play explorer.

Umi didn't even hear Tama ask if she was all right; she ran across the room and slammed the door shut. She spun around and pressed her back against it, trembling violently. Her heart was tapping out a frantic jangle in her chest, and she tried to will it to slow its rhythm.

"Milady?" Tama asked again. She crossed the room. "Umi?"

Suddenly, she was unable to breathe, and she reached up and clawed at the sapphire choker adorning her throat. "Get this off…get it off!" The maid fumbled with the clasp, but in seconds the silver and jeweled ornament tumbled to the ground. Umi forced gasps of air into her lungs.

She was terrified. She couldn't remember ever being this frightened in her life. She was locked away in the enemy's stronghold for the second time, but this was different. When she had been imprisoned by the Chizetan princesses Tarta and Tatra, she had known their base motive. And she had been in full view of the crystalline palace of Cephiro. Here, she had none of those simple comforts. She didn't know where she was, and she didn't know her captor's motive. All she knew was that he wished harm on Cephiro.

And that made him her enemy.

But at the moment he held the cards, at least where she specifically was concerned. That was part of her motivation in demanding that she be allowed to wander the palace. She needed to get her bearings, to figure out some sort of action. But most of all, there was one certain thing she wanted to be able to search for within these walls.

Her glove-gem.

She had been wearing the glove when she was captured, and her sword had been inside it. When she had awakened in the bowels of the dungeons, it had been gone, and she knew they had taken it. If she could get ahold of that again, she could defend herself to a certain degree, by magic or by the sword.

Furthermore, if she had her sword, she could summon her mashin. Selece had already contacted her once, so chances were he could pull her from here—wherever 'here' was, exactly.

Selece…

She stood up and pulled her gloves off as she reached desperately with her mind, looking for that strange blue aura that was usually blinding to her. Under normal circumstances, it was like a searchlight in her mind's eye. But now, it was a candle; she could barely find it. But find it, she did.

"Selece?" she whispered.

She could have wept with relief when the deep voice echoed into her thoughts. "_Umi."_

"Can you get me out of here?" she asked, ignoring the fact that Tama was staring at her as though she had lost her mind entirely. "Under the right circumstances, could you?" She prayed he would understand what she meant. It was risky enough that she was speaking to him like this; best not to come right out and say it, but hope that he would know somehow.

And he did. "_Recover thy sword, and call out my name. I shall come to thee."_

"Awesome," she whispered.

"_Yes, I am."_

After getting over her initial shock, she actually rolled her eyes. "Okay, since when do you have a sense of humor?"

"_Everyone needs a hobby. At least, that's what Windam said Fuu said once…"_

Umi shook her head; a thought occurred to her then, and she spoke again. "Selece, could you bring another person? If I have them with me, could you carry another person out of here?"

"_Hold that person's hand when you summon me, and I shall take them as well."_

"You're a prince!"

"_This surprises you?"_

"I'll talk to you soon, I hope," Umi nodded, ignoring the jibe. She was liking her mashin partner more and more with each passing conversation they shared. But the link between them broke off, and she suddenly felt exhausted. But the mild lightheadedness passed quickly, and she darted back into the changing room, already starting to peel off the evening gown before she had even passed through the door.

"Milady Umi?" Tama followed. She looked and sounded bewildered. "What's happening?"

"I'm changing into something reasonable," Umi said from behind the changing screen; the gorgeous blue dress suddenly acquired powers of flight and soared over the screen, nearly landing right on Tama's head. "And then we're going exploring. I'll need your help." Her head poked out, and she didn't look terribly happy. "Where are my other clothes?"

"Oh…here!" Tama rushed to the bed, where an outfit was already laid out, thought it was not the clothing she had been wearing upon her arrival. She gathered it up and handed it to Umi. "This is what milord instructed. I dared not refuse…"

Umi stepped out a minute later, fury written on her pretty features. "Unbelievable." This was the sort of ensemble that would have been far more at home on Caldina or someone else from Chizeta, a country famous for its flimsy clothing. Had this been made on Earth, Umi would have angrily sworn that the tag with laundering instructions was the biggest piece of fabric on the thing. It was, again, a beautiful shade of blue—but it left so very little to the imagination, and that would simply not do.

Stalking across the room, Umi rang the appointed bell, and jumped when an unfamiliar voice echoed into the room. "Yes, Lady Magic Knight?"

She nearly groaned at the use of that damn honorific again, but simply barked. "Where are the clothes I wore when I was brought here? I want them back immediately, if not sooner."

There was a pause, then the voice replied, "Yes, milady." And there was an odd sound, like a speaker being turned off. Umi was a little unnerved. Did such things as speakers exist here?

In the meantime, she picked up the discarded dress and wrapped it somewhat awkwardly around herself in an attempt to preserve modesty. "So you said Xander ordered this?" At Tama's meek nod, she bit back a curse. "Somehow, that doesn't surprise me. Does that man have no shame?" She stopped herself there. It wasn't Tama's fault; the poor girl was as much caught up in this as Umi was.

"Umi, if I may ask, who were you speaking to earlier?" Tama asked after a moment. "It looked like you were talking to thin air."

To her surprise, the Blue Knight smiled. "I was talking with a friend." A knock at the door signalled another maid—this one far older than Tama, but wearing the same gray, nondescript dress—bearing Umi's clothing, cleaned and folded. Tama took them and passed them to Umi, who conducted a thorough examination both with her eyes and her heightened magical sense, looking for anything suspicious. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, she ducked back behind the screen and changed quickly; when she emerged again, she seemed far calmer and much more confident for her wardrobe.

"Okay, Tama," the Magic Knight tossed the skimpy blue outfit on a chair without any regard for wrinkles or the like, "let's go explore a little." She then half-dragged the poor maid out the door with her.

The palace was as huge as she had thought upon her first impression. It seemed a maze! She rapidly discovered that she had every reason to be grateful she had brought Tama along. The girl might only have been there for a month, but she seemed to have a very good grip on where she was going.

After a while, an idea hit Umi, and she couldn't believe she hadn't had the common sense to think of it sooner. She whirled. "Tama, if Xander were to claim something from an enemy, where would he keep it? I mean, like a trophy?" He seemed like the kind of man who would cheerfully display all and any spoils of his conquests. It was a matter of pride.

The maid mulled over this for a moment before answering, "There is a trophy room, I know of. I know where it is. But I can't go in. Milord's orders."

"But you know where it is?" Umi asked, jumping on the tidbit like a rat on a Cheeto. When Tama nodded, she grinned. "That's good enough for me. Would you show me?" She let herself be led.

"Umi," Tama asked softly as they were in an empty hallway, "may I ask a question now?"

"Go ahead. I might even answer it."

"Why are you suddenly so interested in looking around? And why the trophy room?"

Umi stopped and turned, then leaned in and whispered as softly as she could, "Because I'm not going to spend any more time in this place then I absolutely have to. Tonight, Tama. We're breaking out. And what I need to do it is probably in that room."

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With a click, the door closed.

Kagura leaned her forehead against it and sighed. "So what do you think?"

Takeshi had unceremoniously dropped into a chair and was leaning back in it, stairing up at the ceiling. "It sounds really risky to me. I mean, if she's caught…then what? What happens to her?" They had been walking around aimlessly, meandering through the halls of the palace without any real destination. They were nearly sick with worry, but finally they opted to retire to a room and try to calm down.

"But Selece said they won't kill her," Kagura pointed out.

"There are worse things than death," Takeshi replied almost automatically. He sighed and rocked forward, putting his head in his hands. "Dammit…why is this happening? I mean, I'm barely getting the idea that they actually killed somebody, and the idea that all the people here are normal. And now I'm supposed to somehow wrap my brain around the idea that this has happened? No way…no way in hell…"

She frowned and finally turned away from the door, instead leaning her back against it. "I don't like it either, but…" She paused. "Umi never asked for any of this to happen to her. Neither did Hikaru or Fuu, for that matter. But the point is that it did, and you know Umi. She doesn't do things halfway."

"I know…"

Comprehension dawned. "You know what I think, 'Keshi," she began, using an old nickname, "I don't think it's the whole Magic Knight thing that's bothering you as much as the fact that you're having trouble accepting the fact that you can't help her." In spite of the situation, a sad smile touched Kagura's face. "You've always looked out for me and Umi. But now she's gotten in a little over her head, you can't do anything for her at this point, and you hate the fact that you're helpless."

By the time she finished, he was looking at her with wide, respectful eyes. Every once in a while, Kagura would suddenly pull out a wisdom older than she was and floor him with indisputable logic.

She tilted her head to the side. "I feel the same way. But we have to just trust that Umi can take care of herself, and leave things to the others. If Hikaru and Fuu can do anything, they'll jump at it. And the little wizard guy, and everyone else. They might be able to help her. We can't. All we can do is wait."

He stared at her, and nodded.

Kagura looked like she would have said something else, but a banging on the door. She jumped, spun around, and opened it again. "What's up?"

Presea was there, panting from exhertion. "I think something's happening."

That was all she had to say, and the three were off and running.

o

o

"Let's go."

Even whispered, the words seemed quite loud because they echoed in the vacant corridors and darkened stairways of the palace. Or, as Umi would call it at that moment—perfection.

She led a very frightened Tama out into the shadows of the hallway, gently closing the door to her room behind her. Her absence would be discovered soon enough, she figured.

Truth be told, Umi almost felt a little guilty about pulling Tama into this, but the sad fact was that she needed help if she was to get out of here in one piece, and the eighteen-year-old maid was the only one she had found here that she trusted. Furthermore, Tama had already proven that she was willing to follow 'her lady' in whatever venues were required of her.

But there was even a little more to it than that. Umi had felt a strange connection to this girl since the moment she had laid eyes on her. She was't sure about it at first, but eventually she wrote it off as perhaps a kindred spirit. They were both trapped in this horrible place, and both had reason to possibly fear for their lives. Hadn't Tama even said, upon their initial meeting, that she tried to stay out of sight as much as possible? They were in the same boat, and that was probably where the bond came from.

"Can you lead the way?" she whispered to the shadow that was Tama.

Beside her, the silhouette nodded, and Umi felt a sudden chill that couldn't be written off to temperature; the hallway was surprisingly warm. She brushed it off, citing nerves, and followed Tama closely through the halls.

Twice they had to stop and hide from passing Guards. But no one spotted them.

As they walked, Umi repeatedly tested the weight of the iron fire poker in her hand. It was the closest thing to a sword she had been able to find in her rooms. It was thicker and heavier than one of her fencing rapiers, but the length was almost right (the poker was perhaps an inch or so shorter), and she figured that could be accomodated for with relative ease. Even holding the long iron rod gave her confidence. As long as she remained alert, she could defend herself, and that was empowering.

It seemed like ages had passed and they were still walking, but finally, Tama's shadow stopped—and Umi nearly bumped right into her. "Here, this is it," Tama hissed, pointing to the door. Umi tried the handle, and was only mildly surprised to find it locked. Fortunately, she had come prepared for that as well.

One hand reached into her hair and withdrew a silver hair clip. She had dug through the jewelry box to find something unornamented, and had been lucky enough to find this pair. They were perfect for what she was about to attempt.

She knelt down beside the door and felt for the keyhole. Finally, her fingers found the indentation, and she began wiggling the hairclip around in the opening, listening carefully for the sign that the door was open. It felt like eternites, but finally she heard that telltale click. She tugged on the handle, and the door opened soundlessly.

"Gotcha," Umi murmured, restraining the urge to do a victory dance. Instead she ushered Tama inside, then stepped into the room herself and closed the door. There was already dim lighting in the room, though there was no source visible, and Umi took a good look around.

The room was full of…well, artifacts was the best word she could come up with on short notice. There were items so old they were falling apart, and things that looked brand new, each surrounded by a strange yellow glow. She could only guess how many eras worth of history were represented by the objects in this one room. But that also made her wonder how he had managed to acquire so many of them, and she shivered involuntarily.

But it didn't take her long to spot the object of her own search: her gem-glove. It was sitting on a pedestal near the center of the room; like all of the other items, it was engulfed in that strange golden glow. Unsure, Umi decided to just see what happened, and reached for it.

It was then that she discovered what the glow was: a protective barrier. It felt like she had been struck by lightning, and the force of it threw her across the room. She landed near the wall, huddled on the floor, trying to force air back into her lungs. It hurt worse than anything she had ever encountered before.

"Umi!" Tama yelped as loudly as she dared, rushing to her lady's side. "Are you all right?"

After a minute, Umi managed to get to her feet. "I think I hurt my pride more than my ass," she muttered with a touch of bitterness. "But how do I get through this? I need that glove." She bit her lip in vexation. Would it take magic to get through? But if that was the case, she was in big trouble because her magic was inside that glove. She twisted her hands around the fire poker as she pondered it.

Unsure of what to do, she sighed and stepped back. "Okay, let's think. There's gotta be a way…" She turned to Tama. "We're going to get out of here, though. I promise. With or without that glove."

"I think not."

Umi whirled at the male voice.

And the fire poker was flung from her hand before she had a chance to even think of self-defense. But the sound of iron striking stone was enough to spur her into action, and she jumped backwards, out of the reach of Aeric's sword or fist. She glared angrily at him, positioning herself between him and Tama.

"I must warn you that I will disable you in whatever manner necessary," Aeric said with a calm ferocity. "And your friend there will be dealt with as well." He glanced over at Tama, still cowering in the shadows of a corner.

Umi's blood boiled. "I dragged her along. She has nothing to do with this, so leave her alone!"

"Traitors must be punished," he sneered. "Now cease this foolishness, and come along quietly."

"In your dreams!" Umi spat.

His smirk grew wider, and she had the suspicion he had been hoping she would say something to that effect. Without another word, he raised his sword and lunged. Umi dodged, somersaulting out of the way. An idea was forming rapidly in her mind. If she could just get close enough to make it work…

She plotted her next moves very carefully, trying to end up in specific locations around the room. Finally, she was right where she wanted to be. And _he_ was right where she wanted _him_ to be. He stalked towards her, sword raised. Suddenly, she wasn't quite sure about his promise not to kill her. He looked downright maniacal at that moment.

Umi waited, waited…she had to time this…

As the blade whistled through the air, she dodged to the side at the last possible moment; it was so close that she actually lost a few strands of hair. But as she tumbled to the side, she saw that her plan had worked better than she had hoped.

The blade of Aeric's sword cut through the empty air where she had been standing—and sliced into the strange magical field surrounding her glove-gem. Instantly, there was that same blue light as when she had touched it—but it was far more intense, and she heard Aeric's shout of pain before he was thrown across the room; he hit the wall with a loud thud and slid to the wall. His sword clattered to the ground beside the protective case.

And the barrier of magic disappeared.

Umi stood up and walked over. "I guessed right. It was a magic sword." She sighed. "Is there anything in this world that's not magic?" Gingerly, she reached out and plucked her glove from the case. Nothing blocked her, nor did anything harm her. She knew she was grinning like the village idiot, but she couldn't help it. She pulled the magical gem back onto her hand; the leather was comfortable and slightly worn against the skin of her hand. It started glowing instantly.

In a flash of blue light, Umi's sword was in her hand, and she whirled and headed towards Tama; she held out a hand towards the maid. "Come on. You can come with me, back to Cephiro. Selece said he'll take us both there. You can be safe, live in the palace."

Tama's eyes widened hopefully, and she nodded fervently. Then the expression changed from joy to horror, and she screamed, "Umi, look out!"

At the last second, Umi raised her sword and blocked a harsh blow from Aeric's sword. The blonde general was now back on his feet, looking a tiny bit singed and extremely disgruntled. He smirked as she repelled his attack. "So the Knight of Windam isn't the only one with half a brain. Impressive."

Instinctively, Umi raised her blade and lowered herself into a stance, putting most of her weight forward, onto her toes. It was easier to make fast or sudden movements that way.

But he didn't attack. Instead, he examined his blade for a moment, and then regarded her with a curious sort of stare. "Tell me something, Umi, because I'm just dying of curiousity. What do you do, exactly? For the Magic Knight team, I mean."

She blinked. "What?"

"Well, the Knight of Rayearth—Hikaru, I believe it is—is known for her courage. And Windam's Knight—Fuu, is it?—is famous for her intelligence," he explained in the kind of voice a parent would use when speaking to a very small child. "So where do you fit in? Do you really serve any sort of useful purpose for this team?" He chuckled. "Or is it true—you're just a pretty face, the damsel in distress?"

Umi snarled, and in one swift, fluid movement, she leapt forward, knocked the blade from his hand, ducked down, and landed a perfect kick to his stomach. He was surprised enough that he stumbled backwards while she easily flipped over, landing on one knee, holding her sword out in front of her. She made a mental note to thank Hikaru profusely for the self-defense lessons.

But her opponent was already getting back up and coming after her. It was time to go, she thought, spinning around. Umi reached out, and her hand closed around Tama's wrist. She saw the maid's startling blue eyes widen in surprise and fear, but there was no time. Aeric was upon them, his sword raised, and that insane look in his eyes once again.

A strange thing happened. A small torrent of water exploded, seemingly from the _wall_ just above Umi's head. It was at the perfect height to nail the soldier squarely in the mid-torso, and knocked him backwards several feet. It was just the opening she needed as he scrambled at her again.

"_Go!"_ The strange female voice from her dreams barked the order in her mind, and she did not dare disobey whoever it was that had decided to protect her like this.

She took a small amount of pleasure in seeing the soldier's eyes widen in realization as she thrust her sword arm into the air and screamed with every fiber of her being, "SELECE!" A burst of blue light surrounded her and Tama, and the last thing she heard was the sound of metal scraping against stone as Aeric's sword cut through the empty air where they had just been, scraping against the stone walls.

When Umi opened her eyes next, there was the strange floating sensation that she had come to associate with mashin riding. And sure enough, she was wearing the armor and cape of the Knight of Selece. At her side, Tama was clinging desperately, fearfully to her arm, whimpering softly.

"It's all right," she patted her friend's back gently, then looked up. "Great timing, Selece."

"_Nice to see you again as well."_

"Can we go home now, pretty please?" Umi pleaded.

"_As you wish," _Selece boomed, and Tama cringed. "_Next stop, Cephiro!"_

o

o

"_Mission accomplished."_

Fuu nearly jumped out of her skin as Windam's rumbling baritone popped into her mind. But she recovered quickly, and called up towards the ceiling, "Windam, what's happening?"

Rayearth's voice chimed in. "_Selece will return shortly, bearing his Knight."_

The last word had barely been relayed, via Hikaru, and Clef had already summoned up an image on the globe they used to observe the action. And sure enough, when the picture finally swam up into clarity, Umi was quite visible, riding in the mashin. There was another girl with her, clinging desperately to her arm; the Magic Knight seemed to be talking to this unknown girl, as though reassuring her.

"She's okay!" Kagura half-screeched.

Hikaru and Fuu were already scrambling out of the room, though, heading for the place where experience told them she would be most likely to land. The others followed quickly.

"Has she gone?"

It was a question Xander already knew the answer to, yet he asked it anyway.

"She has," Aeric replied from somewhere behind him. "She took the girl with her."

A moment of silence, followed by, "Leave me." The instant the dismissal was given, Aeric all but vanished from the room. Xander remained alone, staring out the window.

So she had left.

He frowned; his brow furrowed. And a vase across the room exploded.

His expression relaxed; he felt better.

A thought occurred to him, then, and he mulled over it. He had strongly suspected it earlier, but now he was certain of it. And the familiar smirk crept back into his face. "She doesn't know. After all this, she still doesn't know…"

o

o

"This is really happening!" Tama half-squealed, looking around frantically.

"Yup!" Umi beamed. "This is Selece, my mashin."

The girl looked up at Umi hopefully. "And we're really going to Cephiro?"

Umi was momentarily startled—damn, that girl had blue eyes! But then again, so did she. And instead she simply answered, "Selece will take us to the Cephirean palace. We're almost there." She turned her head and looked out the window. "Scratch that, we're here!"

Sure enough, the crystalline palace of Cephiro loomed just ahead.

"You'll like it much better here, Tama. I promise," Umi said. "I promise you'll have a place at the palace, if I have to browbeat Clef into it myself. Don't worry." Tama looked vaguely placated, and was relatively calm as they flew up beside the palace.

In a flash of blue light, they were both standing on the deck of the palace where on several previous occasion the Magic Knights had been let out of the mashin. It was so good to be back…

Unfortunately, the peace was short-lived as two blurs—one red and one green—came around the corner and hit her squarely, and all three Magic Knights tumbled to the floor, Umi squashed firmly between them in a tight hug. A second later, another form—Kagura—joined the fray.

"UmiImissedyousosososososooomuchandweweresoworriedaboutyou—" Hikaru's long outburst seemed to be all one word, but Umi, having had much experience with her friend's habits, managed to get most of it. Translation: Umi, I missed you so so so so sooo much and we were so worried about you…

"We thought they might have killed you! Are you hurt?" Fuu asked a little more slowly.

"You really had us freaked out, you know that?" Kagura half-sobbed.

"Guys, I'm fine. Really. But…" she chuckled dryly, "could you let me get up, please? There's somebody I want you to meet." They immediately let her go and pulled her to her feet—

—just in time for her to be hit once again, this time by a squealing Caldina. And for the second time in as many minutes, Umi was tackled to the floor. When she finally managed to extract herself from Caldina's grasp and get back on her feet, the rest of the crew had assembled. Takeshi was first in line to scoop her up in a big bear-hug. All were jabbering at her eagerly, all demanding to know the exact same thing: was she already, had she been hurt, had she learned anything?

And behind her, her new friend looked terrified. Umi decided to prioritize, and she held up a hand for silence. "Guys, guys, hang on. First things first! There's someone I want you to meet." She turned and gestured for Tama to come over. "This is Tama. She was a servant in his palace, and she helped me escape. She'll be staying here with us. Okay?" That last word was said in a tone that allowed for no arguments.

Fortunately, the majority of the Cephirean residents seemed plenty open to the idea of housing the one who had aided Umi in her escape. Only one seemed to harbor any reluctance, though it was not voiced.

"I'll work for you, I promise!" Tama was almost in tears for joy, and everyone immediately set about with introductions and assuring her that it was not necessary. But one person in the group hung back, watching carefully. Something didn't sit right with him.

Clef frowned. _Hmmmm…_

o

o

o

**AN: **pant pant There…it's done. I hope this was worth the month-long wait. I'm terribly sorry that it took so long to get this out, but school's starting up again and my time has become quite valuable. So I gotta prioritize: school comes first. That, combined with the fact that these are fairly long chapters, equals a little more time between updates. Hope that's all right.

Thanks to all who have dropped me a line! I hope you'll continue reading in the future as well. But can you believe that we're already almost halfway through this story? Amazing, isn't it? The tempo's picking up from here on out, so buckle your seatbelts. Thanks, and see you the next time around!

**Next time: **Something's bothering Umi. And Selece now knows where Xander's hideout is…


	9. Doubting

**AN: **Whew, I finally got a chance to sit down and write this chapter. It's a little shorter than the other chapters, but it's the set-up for the next chapter—a fight chapter! Woo hoo! My writing time has become quite constrained, so…yeah. Expect some time between chapters.

So here you go! The continuing adventures! Here's where we're going to start laying on a good dose of angst—I am almost incapable of writing a full-length epic without having a least a little bit of nice, depressing, unhappy not-pleasantness. I hope you enjoy it. Not much action, mostly development.

I do NOT own Magic Knight Rayearth…but I now own a Kyou plushie! Kyou, from Fruits Basket, if you didn't know. My friend gave it to me! I heart my orange Kyou cat plushie! He's so squeezy!

_o_

_o_

_o_

**Doubting**

The click was immensely satisfying; it signalled that the door was closed, shutting out the world and people that were beyond it. And for Umi, that meant peace, time alone, and privacy to finally indulge the innermost thoughts she had been suppressing for far too long now.

She slumped against the door as the last reserves of her energy gave out. It was like a car with an empty tank, running on nothing but fumes. At some point, there was just nothing left to draw on, and everything would grind to a halt.

Her forehead hit the wooden door, and she nearly cringed as she forced the smile to drain from her face. After spending all of her time since her arrival back in the Cephirean palace convincing everyone that she was completely unharmed, it felt like that silly grin was frozen in place. And it reflected quite the opposite of her mood.

Umi was exhausted. She was tired, and she was upset. An unpleasant combination. Aeric's words kept replaying themselves over and over in her head, like a record stuck on skip. "_Tell me something, Umi, because I'm just dying of curiousity. What do you do, exactly? For the Magic Knight team, I mean."_

She clasped her hands desperately over her ears in an attempt to block out the sound; it was a vain attempt, as the torment was internal, a torture that was purely mental. The voice kept repeating.

"_Do you really serve any sort of useful purpose for this team?" He chuckled. "Or is it true—you're just a pretty face, the damsel in distress?"_

No, no, no…

She stumbled across the room and fell onto her bed. Her fingers clawed at hers ears, her nails scratching slightly at her cheeks. She curled up into the fetal position, trying desperately to unthaw the cold, icy fingers that had wrapped themselves around her stomach. Aeric's words had been gnawing steadily at the back of her mind since they had left his mouth, but she had ignored them as she reassured her friends that she was in perfect health.

Why was this bothering her so much?

Umi knew she wasn't necessarily as brave as Hikaru—the fiery little redhead was courageous almost to the point of stupidity. And she also knew she couldn't match Fuu's intelligence—it was almost impossible to get anything by the quiet genius in terms of logic or thinking. But she could—_had_ held her own against monsters, demons, and irate Chizetan princesses wielding very sharp swords.

She was a brilliant fencer, and could say so without bragging. Give her a sword, and she could defend herself against almost anything that she came up against. She was lightning with a blade.

…yet Aeric had matched her, blow for blow, strike for strike. She hadn't been able to land anything on him. They had only escaped by a miracle—a jet of water that had been summoned, literally, from stone, shooting out of the wall over Umi's head to stop his advance. That had been the only saving grace, allowing her the time to grab Tama and call Selece.

If not for her unknown protector, Tama would probably be dead, and she would still be a prisoner. There were fates worse than death, though, and that could very well have been one of them. She shuddered to think what might have happened had she stayed in that horrid place.

And Selece…

She had proven herself before the Water-Dragon himself in order to become the Magic Knight. Selece had proclaimed her strength of heart and accepted her as his Knight. She was a savior of Cephiro. She wasn't weak—she was a goddamn Magic Knight!

For a moment, she considered going to Fuu or Hikaru or someone and asking them what they thought. But she brushed the notion away almost immediately. Her enemy seemed to know everything about her, and she had no illusions as to what that meant. Admitting doubt was a weakness, and it was not one she thought she could afford at this point. If she confessed that it was bothering her, then wouldn't that be playing right into what Aeric wanted?

She was their designated target. She had to be strong.

"It's not true…" she murmured. But the room was silent, and did not answer.

_o_

_o_

"I'm worried about Umi."

Fuu's voice, soft as it was, carried easily to Clef. He looked up from his book and smiled slightly at the Green Knight. She had just entered his study, and closed the door behind her, leaning against it. "May I ask why?" he questioned, setting the volume down on a nearby table.

"She's not acting like herself. She hasn't been normal since her rescue," Fuu replied. "She said she was beaten and healed, and that was the only thing that happened to her physically. I believe her on that count. But something isn't right."

"I've noticed that Umi seems more…thoughtful than usual," the mage admitted. "Since the three of you returned. I assumed it was

"Well, you know what they say about 'assume,'" Fuu commented.

"Err…no, I don't. What do they say?" Clef looked genuinely perplexed.

"Never mind," she shook her head quickly and changed the subject. "But I am worried." Fuu decided not to add that she was almost grateful for her friend's condition because worrying about Umi meant she didn't have to think about Ferio. He now alternated between watching her and occasionally following, and avoiding her like a plague. Hikaru was the only of the three Knights who didn't seem to be having any problems at the moment, but she was unhappy simply because her friends were unhappy.

"I will confide in you," Clef sighed, brows knitting together in serious thought. "I am worried as well, but my concern lies more with Umi's friend, the girl she brought back with her."

"Tama?" Fuu frowned; concern etched itself into her features.

"Yes. Something about her makes me a little…uneasy. Perhaps I'm just used to being overly suspicious, but I am not sure if I trust her," he finished. "But it's probably unfounded."

"I have a thought…" Fuu murmured, then reached with her mind. "_Windam?_ _Can you shed some light on this? What's wrong with Umi? And what about Tama? Umi trusts her—should we?"_

She waited, expecting the usual prompt answer.

But for some reason, though she could feel Windam brooding silently in the very back of her mind, the mashin remained strangely quiet…

_o_

_o_

The knock was sudden enough to make Umi start in surprise—and fall off her bed. Momentarily pushing her worries aside, she clambored across the room and opened the door, still rubbing the sore spot on her hip where she had landed.

Tama jumped back, her hand poised as though she had been preparing to tap on the door again. "Oh, I'm so sorry! Did I wake you up or—" The waterfall of words was drained to a drip as Umi held up a hand for silence.

"It's okay. I wasn't asleep. You just startled me," Umi managed a weak smile. "Come on it." She stepped aside and let her newest friend move into her room; she closed the door. "So what brings you to my humble abode this late?" The question of time was not unfounded, given that the sun had disappeared quite a long while ago.

Tama twisted her hands nervously in front of her. "I—I wanted to thank you. For saving me. For taking me away from that place." She was still wearing the plain grey dress and white apron. But a good amount of the tension that had been gathered in her shoulders had already dissipated, and she looked a little more relaxed. "I would be dead now if it wasn't for you. Thank you so much." She paused and bowed low.

Umi smiled. "It's all right. You'll be safer and happier here. Just make yourself at home."

The girl nodded, hesitated, but seemed to decide that it was worth asking. "Umi…what does all of this mean? Everything that is happening…I don't understand this. What could they want with you? And what might this mean for your friends?" She looked worried, almost frantic.

The Magic Knight's smile faded, and she sighed, letting the tiniest amount of her exhaustion show through. "I don't know, Tama. I really don't know. I'd love to be able to give you answer, but…I can't." Her expression hardened into the rock-hard determination she was so known for. "But whatever's going on, I won't let anything happen to anyone else." Her eyes took on a dangerous glint. "I don't know what Xander's trying to do, but there's no way I'm going to let those bastards get their hands on Hikaru, Fuu, or any of my other friends, including you."

A gentle smile crossed Tama's face. "I believe that, Umi. I truly do." The smile vanished after a heartbeat, as she noticed Umi's face. "Umi? What's wrong? Are you all right? You look so sad…"

But the moment was lost as Umi shook her head and brushed her hair back with one hand. "Nothing. Don't worry. I'm just worn out. It's been a long day." She stood up, having lowered herself into a chair at the very start of this conversation. "In fact, I think I'd like to get some rest. Would you like me to walk you back to your room?"

That strange, gentle smile returned to Tama's face, and she shook her head slightly. "No, that's all right. I can make it myself. Forgive me if I'm being impudent, but I think you should get some rest." She moved back to the door, and was gone a second later.

Umi stood, motionless, for a moment, then crossed to the bed and tumbled into it without taking the time to change into the nightgown her Cehpirean friends had given her. She curled up on top of the bedclothes, not bothering to pull her head onto the pillow; she curled up, her hair spread out behind her like blue silk over the comforter.

She felt tired, but she didn't want to sleep. There were too many things for her to think over, disregarding that her body was fighting valiantly to pull her down. But finally, Umi gave into exhaustion, and as she floated away into the numbness of slumber, she vaguely wondered if she would dream again tonight. And would there be any answers in those dreams?

_It started out the same, exactly the same as before. Floating high over Cephiro, surrounded by the unconscious, unmoving forms of her friends, both from Earth and Cephiro. And the shadow swallowed both the people and the landscape. Only Umi was spared, alone in the darkness, protected by the hazy figure ahead, who was still without name or face._

_For a moment, all was still. Then the shadow moved—it opened scarlet eyes and glared down at Umi. The eyes had no iris or pupil, they were all that horrible red color, and there was no facial expression to add emphasis, but there was no missing the feeling of pure, unadulterated hatred that radiated from those demonic eyes._

_Her hand automatically tightened around the hilt of the Escudo-made sword, already drawn and ready. She tensed, feeling the familiar comfort of her armor moving with her. She was still at a loss as to what this thing was, but there was no doubt in her mind that this being, this monster despised her._

_Why? She didn't know._

_Amidst the shadows, between the two glowing ruby-eyes, the outline of something appeared. She stared at it, squinting, trying to identify the silhouette. It was something she had seen before…_

_But there was no time. The shadow-woman, her protector, turned to face her again. She reached out towards her with one hand. Umi instincticely extended her hand in turn. They were closer than she had thought, because they were so close to touching…_

"_Open…to…"_

_A light appeared between the shadow-creature's eyes, one that gathered quickly and then shot at her, a beam that hit her squarely in the chest and sent her flying backwards, falling downwards into the shadows. All that remained was that female voice, delivering a message that she only got two words of._

"_Open…to…"_

Umi jolted awake, sat up—and instantly regretted it as muscles protested her movement after being curled up in unnatural positions for a time. But as she absently massaged her sore muscles, she thought of her dream, the recurring nightmare. It was getting clearer, and each time, something new appeared. The silhouette within the shadow…that bothered her.

"It's getting closer…" she murmured, kneading her shoulder with one hand to work out the tension that had gathered there. "Whatever it is, it's coming. But what is it?" She sighed and put her face in her hands. "Open what to what? Who are you…what do you want from me?"

As before, the room remained silent and offered no answers.

_o_

_o_

With the advent of sunlight, the night was chased away, and the inhabitants of the Cephirean palace met for a morning meal. There was a certain amount of tension, as Fuu and Ferio were averting their gazes, and Umi just looked out of it. But generally speaking, everyone was in a good humor. The only one missing was Clef, who had shooed Hikaru from his study earlier, claiming that he would join them shortly.

Tama was bustling around, bearing food and drink. Despite their protests that she didn't have to wait on them, she insisted on it.

They were nearly done with their meal when the sorceror made good on his promise and burst into the room; his expression was dancing the knife-edge between exuberance and anger, a very strange combination. He marched straight to the head of the table, where his chair had been left vacant; he did not sit, but addressed everyone in a rush. "I think we've found him."

A chorus of confused voices greeted his proclamation.

"Selece gave us all of the information he could concerning the whereabouts of our enemy," Clef went on. "Based on what he told us, I think we have found Xander's hiding place. Or at the very least, we know where you were imprisoned, Umi."

The Blue Knight started while everyone burst into excited chatters.

"Now what do we do with this information?" he proceeded. "That is the question."

"If I may," Lafarga rose, his military training coming to the front. "It might be in our best interests to attack, or at least try to infiltrate their hide-out and see if we can find out anything about them—perhaps their plans or intentions?"

This was met by general agreement and nods. Only Umi showed any reservations.

_I don't know if I want to see those two again, _she thought frantically. _And what Aeric said…it's not true. I know it's not! But I can't just go in there without being able to back it up. I have to be able to fight him as an equal…_

"Umi, are you in?" Fuu asked from the chair on her right. Every eye swivelled to look at the Blue Knight curiously, and Umi had to fight to keep from shrinking down into herself.

"I—I—" she found out quickly that her mind had gone void of words, and sighed. "Whatever you guys think we should do works for me. I'll go along with it, no problem." Her hands clenched in her lap under the table so no one would see them shaking.

"It's settled then," Hikaru announced with her usual confidence. "We'll go, and see what we can find out about this creep. Maybe we can even stop this now, before anybody else gets hurt."

Umi could only hope that her fiery friend was right.

_o_

_o_

"They're coming?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Excellent," Xander steepled his fingers together in front of his face.

Aeric smirked. "Shall I prepare for the arrival of our guests?"

"Indeed. Please do."

_o_

_o_

_o_

**AN: **Whew…it's done. Huzzah! Kind of a slow, short chapter, but again, setting things up. Next chapter…let's just say I promise I'll have it done before the end of this school year. It's a fight chapter, and it's going to be a doozy, I have a feeling. So bear with me, have a little patience, and with luck it'll be rewarded in due time. :crosses fingers:

Thanks to everyone, once again for reading and reviewing. I heart you all! Next chapter will hopefully be up before 2005 is upon us…

**Next time: **The battle is on. Umi has a rematch, and true feelings come out…please look forward to it!


	10. Into the Belly of the Beast

**AN: **I actually started this at a reasonable time. Finishing it…well, that might be another story. But that's okay. I think. I hope. Yikes…anyway, thanks to all you oh-so-wonderful readers and reviewers out there, I heart you all! So on we go—the first really big fight scene!

Finals are done and interim is upon us here, which means one class a day for three hours a day! Huzzah! Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get off my azy lass and woo any driting (just whip your flurds, you'll figure it out). Again, apologies all around.

Now let me give you fair warning—I have never really done much with fight scenes simply because I always read back over them and think they don't work as well as I would like them to. But I'm gonna try, because this is important. So if it sucks…I'm sorry. I'm really trying.

Luvs! I on't done Ragic Might Kayearth. Again, litch your sweaters, and it'll sake mence.

_o_

_o_

_o_

**Into the Belly of the Beast**

Umi's gloved hands clenched nervously into fists; after a moment, she made a conscious effort to relax, and unclenched them. Her knuckles ached now, and nothing could stop the tremors that racked her body from head to toe.

"_Do not worry," _Selece's voice echoed in her mind, almost sympathetically, and she looked up, though she couldn't see the mashin's face. "_No harm shall come to thee. I shall not allow it."_

"Appreciate it," she murmured, looking down. Below them loomed the shadowed turrets of Xander's palace. This was only the second time she had seen this building from the outside, the first having been at the moment of her rescue, when she had taken Tama with her.

"It'll be all right," Fuu said with a cheerfulness that was only skin-deep. No one was quite sure from where Windam's Knight had been dragging up the energy to present that happy front, but no one believed it was real. She still skittered away from Ferio like a frightened rabbit hiding from a fox, and refused to discuss the Cephirean Prince when the topic was brought up. Once, she had actually feigned a sudden hearing loss when someone had mentioned Ferio's name in the midst of a conversation.

She had been miraculously healed when the subject changed.

Umi was worried for herself, naturally, but she was more concerned for her heartbroken friend. If Fuu kept this charade up, she was going to burn herself out, and then things would be even worse. She made a mental note to talk to Fuu about it when they got back to the palace.

Her friends were more important to her than her own mental health.

A burst of blue light transported her down to the castle's highest turret. The mashin-armor faded; she was wearing slightly more protective armor than the usual one-shouldered piece—it was far more similar to the full chest-plate and two shoulderpads that had been bestowed upon her at the revival of the mashin. All in her trademark shade of blue.

Beside her were two other beams in red and green, producing two similarly-clad young women in red and green respectively. There were further flashes of light as the three Magic Knights drew Escudo-made swords from glove-gems.

The flying-craft Mokona had summoned up for them lighted on the stone tower beside them, and the small invading army, as it were, flooded out, assembling around their heroes and appointed leaders.

There was a soft hiss of metal sliding against leather as Lafaraga drew his sword and turned to the Knights. "Shall we go, then?" Though the words were light and he was smiling faintly, it was a grim smile, and his tone and words held no jocular tones.

"We can cover more ground if we pair up," Fuu pointed out, ever level-headed and ever logical. "At least for the first go around." They quickly paired off: Umi and Ascot, Lantis and Hikaru, Lafarga and Presea, and Fuu and Ferio—mostly because he grabbed her arm and refused to let go, so she acquiesed with nothing more than a nod. She did, however, quickly pull away from her appointed companion

Fuu pushed the point of her sword against the ground and leaned on it, her casual posture betraying her mood and the severity of the situation, as well as her own personal problems. However, in the true Fuu style, she pushed her own feelings aside and reviewed the plan she had discussed with Clef earlier. "Remember what we talked about before. Stay with your parners. Watch each others' backs. Hikaru, Umi, and I will keep in touch with each other. Lafarga, Presea, you two will have to be doubly careful. If there's trouble for the two of you, Lafarga has magic. We can find you that way." The pair nodded vigorously.

"If something goes very wrong, we'll call the mashin and haul everyone out that way," she went on. "Windam, Selece, and Rayearth have already told us that they can and will carry double. Everyone remember the rest?" There was a silent chorus of nods, and Fuu swept her Escudo sword up onto her shoulder; the weapon was as long as she was tall. "Okay, let's go."

Further weapons were drawn, and poker-faces slammed down in battle-readiness. Armed and as ready as they would ever be, they started down into the palace, deep into the belly of the beast. Umi let Hikaru and Fuu lead, bringing up the rear of the trio as they headed down the uneven stone stairs. Her focus was sharply divided between keeping her eyes open for attack or ambush, and trying to make sure that her hands weren't shaking visibly.

_o_

_o_

"Is anything happening?" Kagura demanded. She didn't mean to sound like she was whining, but she was nervous as hell. Her movements betrayed her anxiety as she hopped from one foot to the other, back and forth, like an impatient child.

"Jesus freakin' Christ on a pogo stick, would you calm down?" Takeshi exploded suddenly. One hand slid angrily through dark hair, tangling in the short, spiky mane. "You're driving me nuts!"

He was irritated as hell, and his longtime friend had just annoyed him a little too much with her inability to sit still and wait patiently for what was going to inevitably occur. But the second the words were out of his mouth, he knew he'd made a mistake. Instantly, he regretted it.

Kagura looked at him with wide, startled eyes. Caldina had even decided to get in on the action, and was standing behind the girl, giving him a reproachful look. Even Clef had raised an eyebrow, though he wasn't sure if it was due to the actual outburst itself or if the diminuitive mage was merely betraying his confusion at Takeshi's strange choice of words.

If he didn't say something, she would probably start to cry. And from there, it would just get ugly. _Bleeding hearts of the world, UNITE! _he thought halfheartedly in a slight bout with self-beration as he sighed and just decided not to postpone the inevitable. "Sorry…didn't mean to snap…stressed…"

But she simply nodded, sombering with surprising speed. All attention returned to the viewing globe—or the "deranged magic TV thing," as Kagura had once called it during a fit of 'this place is so screwed up and nothing makes sense.' It had been right after Umi had shown her the two-dimensional spring at Eterna.

Now, though, their concern was not over the strangeness of the magical world that was called Cephiro, or over the monsters that lurked around, both in the palace and in the wilderness outside. Everyone was united in the room in their worry and fretting over their heroes, anxiously awaiting their return, safe and sound, in one piece.

The mashin were once again proving their worth, giving a springboard for the rest of the palace to watch the unfolding events at Xander's palace. The three spirit-gods were waiting over Xander's palace, prepared to snatch the Cephirean warriors up from the jaws of Death, if need be. They were linked in with their respective Knights.

"_Have they always been able to do this?" Umi had asked as the fighters had been preparing to leave. They had just been informed of the mashin's further participation in the siege of the castle—to see through the eyes of their Knights to enable the Cephirean palace to follow their progress._

_Selece's voice had popped into her head at that point. _:We are very multi-talented.:

_The Water Knight had rolled her eyes. "No offense, Selece, but it's a little…um, unsettling to know you're inside my head like that." She paused. "Can you really see my thoughts and stuff?"_

_To her open amazement, there was a low chuckle. _:Yes, I can. You have a very dirty mind.:

_It was several minutes before Umi was able to speak coherently again._

Kagura still wasn't sure what to make of those mashins. They still scared the crap out of her, but Umi seemed completely at ease with the idea of working with a giant robot thing that was actually alive.

"I'm just worried 'bout Ascot," Caldina half-mumbled. "I wish he'd stayed behind, insteada going off to play Hero." Kagura gave her a Look, and the dancer grinned. "Oh, ya didn't notice?"

The door opened with only the slightest creak to betray the arrival of someone new, interrupting that potentially dangerous conversation. Everyone's eyes automatically moved to the door. Caldina bounded over and threw her arms around the newcomer. "We were wonderin' where ya went!"

Tama looked mortified at the amount of attention she was suddenly receiving, and squirmed uncomfortably in Caldina's crushing grasp. When the Chizetan dancer finally released her, she shied away a little, and managed to position herself on the other side of Kagura for safety. "Please pardon the intrusion…I wanted to see…"

The Earth girl offered the timid maid a kind smile. "You're worried about Umi too, aren't you?"

A shy nod.

"Don't worry," Takeshi said with far more confidence then he actually felt. "I've seen these guys in action. They can take care of themselves. They'll come back to us, safe and sound."

"Indeed. I agree."

The female voice made everyone jump, and they all stared in amazement as Caliana strolled in. She looked far more relaxed then anyone there could ever remember seeing her. Truthfully, they hadn't seen much of the Aldarbian Princess since the callous announcement of her engagement with Ferio.

"I decided it would be wise to stay out of sight," she answered the unspoken question. "Your Knight of Fire seems to have quite a taste for my blood." The comment was void of inflection; there was no accusation or ill will. She was simply making a statement about Hikaru's blatant anger with her. "So they've gone. I would like to watch." There was definitely something going on behind her dark eyes, some deep thought stirring around. But she did not seem eager to share whatever the thought was, and so the potential issue was not pressed.

As if on cue, the viewing globe exploded with light; everyone instinctively covered their eyes. After a few scant seconds, the light faded into an actual image, and the odd little audience of sorts gathered around to watch and hope.

_o_

_o_

"This way."

For Umi, darting around the maze of corridors and passageways in the palace was an exercise in retracing steps she had taken in the dark. But she was fairly certain that she was going in the right direction. Or at least the general direction that they needed to be going.

Ascot, her assigned 'partner-in-crime,' as it were, didn't ask questions. He simply followed. In fact, he'd barely said two words since they'd started on this mission of theirs. Umi wished vaguely that she could see his eyes, at least; it might have given her a clue as to what he was thinking.

The palace was silent as the grave—a chilling analogy, given the circumstances. But there was no one out and about, whereas before there had been a few stray servants wandering here and there, a few lone soldiers marching patrols around the corridors. It was empty and quiet, and altogether unnerving.

But Umi refused to let Ascot see how truly nervous she was. Instead, she lead the way, looking and listening for any sign of a threat or attack. But there was nothing. It was calm. Far too calm…

_TWINGE…_

"Stop," she said suddenly, her instincts suddenly screaming in warning. Ascot froze instantly. He was about two feet behind her, letting her take the lead. "Something's wrong…don't let your guard down."

Blue eyes scanned up and down the corridor, searching for whatever it was that had sent her Magic Knight senses a-tingling. There was nothing…the hallway was vacant, save for her and her silent partner. She wished Ascot would speak more than he had—the silence was unnerving.

But the silence was broken when something crashed down from the ceiling, hitting the floor between her and her partner. She heard Ascot shout, but couldn't understand what he said, as she let out a cry of her own. Unthinkingly, Umi dove out of the way, sliding across the stone floor. Her sword clattered against the floor as she instinctively put her arms over her head to protect herself, an act driven home from years of tornado drills and the like as a child in primary school. She did not move.

A cloud of dust swept by her, shaken up by the falling object. She waited until the dust had settled before she dared to move. Slowly, she lifted her arms from her head and automatically brushed her long hair back from her face; a miniature dust cloud fell from her mane at the disturbance. Slowly, she turned and looked back at where she had been standing a minute ago.

Or, more accurately, beyond that spot.

What had come crashing down from the ceiling was an enormous stone door. There had been only a couple of scant feet of space between her and Ascot, and in that mere space, the heavy rock had fallen, blocking off the entire corridor and effectively separating them.

Grabbing her sword with one hand and shoving the last few strands of stray hair back into her headband, Umi scrambled to her feet and over to the stone door. Her empty hand pressed against the engraved rock desperately. "Ascot! Ascot!" she screamed, hoping against hope that he could hear her.

"Umi? Are you all right? Umi?" his voice, muffled and frantic, called back.

Umi was nearly bowled over by a rush of relief and other strange, jumbled emotions she couldn't quite name at that moment. "I'm fine, don't worry," she yelled. "But I can't get to you." Meanwhile, her mind was racing frantically. The whole idea of the quote-unquote 'buddy system' was to keep everyone a little safer by having someone to watch their back. She wasn't supposed to get separated from her partner!

In truth, she was more concerned about Ascot than she was about herself. She had her magic and her sword; she could defend herself. Ascot…he was a summoner. But should his friends fail? Then what?

She had to find a way to get back to him, before something happened to either of them. Unless…

Umi reached with her mind, a link built up over years of friendship, aided by magic. _:Fuu? Are you there: _If one of them was nearby, then things would be a whole lot easier: send Ascot off with them, and then worry about herself.

She was thrilled when she heard Fuu's voice in her mind. _:Umi? What happened:_

Quickly and succintly, Umi explained what had just happened to split her up from her partner _:Where_ _are you? I'd prefer for Ascot to not be by himself.:_

_:We'll_ _find him. But what about you:_

_:Don't_ _worry about me: _Umi said back. _:I'll_ _be okay. If it comes to it, I'll call Selece.:_

Hesitation. Then a reluctant, _:Okay. We'll find Ascot. You watch out.:_

"Ascot," she hollered, hoping he would calm down and listen to her. "Fuu's going to come find you. Don't worry about me. I got myself out of here once, and I can do it again."

The protests began immediately. "Umi, no. It's not safe! I'm not leaving without you!"

"You don't have a choice!" she replied. "Please. This is the best way." She stepped back from the wall and took a deep breath to steady her own jangling nerves as well as suppress something that was pulling at her, but that was as yet without name. "I'm going to go find my way out. Be safe, Ascot! I'll see you soon!" She turned and sprinted away before her resolve broke, hearing his faint protests and entreaties for her to wait, not to go.

But they were lost in seconds, swallowed by distance and a thick sheet of rock.

Umi kept moving, but reached once more with her mind. _:Hikaru? Where are you:_

_:I'm_ _here, and I know what's going on: _the response was instant, as though the lithe redhead had just been waiting for the contact. _:Lantis_ _and I will look for you. Just sit tight.:_

_:I_ _feel better if I keep moving: _Umi said, turning a corner. _:The_ _longer I sit still, the more likely it is that they'll grab me.: _She shuddered, and knew that Hikaru could feel it. _:I_ _don't want them to get me again. I'll…I'll keep going. We'll find each other soon. And like I told Fuu, I'll call Selece the instant it gets bad. I won't be taken prisoner again.:_

A sort of mental nod from Hikaru. _:Okay. We'll look for you. Be safe.:_

The connection fell out, and Umi once again restored her focus on moving around and looking for something that could give them a hint as to their enemy's weakness. At that moment, she was desperately hoping that she would wake up and find the whole ordeal had been merely a nightmare.

She rounded a corner—and for the second time dove to the floor to avoid losing her head. This time, it was a large red fireball that had come flying at her, cutting it close enough that she felt the searing heat on her face and hands. She flipped over and hoisted back to her feet in record time, glaring angrily at her opponent and attacker.

Aeric glared right back at her, a too-handsome, too-lazy smirk sitting comfortably on his face. "Lady Umi, we meet again. I see you have returned to us." He lowered the hand that had been raised parallel to the floor—no doubt the hand that had launched the magical attack at her.

She fought back the urge to either flee or scream, and instead smirked right back at him. "Funny. I was hoping I wouldn't have to run into you. Bad luck on my part, I guess."

He didn't seem at all fazed by the jibe. Instead he pushed lazily off the wall he had been leaning against and took a few slow, casual steps towards her. "You would do well to surrender, and place yourself back into Xander's capable hands." His hand slid easily to the hilt of the sword hanging on his hip and drew the blade a few inches, in a clear indication of what would happen should she decline.

Which is exactly what Umi intended to do.

"I can only imagine what Xander's hands would do to me," she shot back. "No, I think I'll just kick your ass, and then be on my merry way." She renewed her grip on her own sword, and waited. She would not draw her blade first; let him be the instigator.

And he did. There was the hissing sound of metal against leather as sword left sheath. "Very well, Lady Magic Knight. Then let us rematch." He raised his sword to chin level, holding it horizontally above the ground, and ran his tongue over the blade, his eyes glimmering in anticipation.

Umi raised her sword to a salute—hilt at the level of her heart, blade pointed straight up so that it ran directly in front of her nose. "At your pleasure, sir." That last was said with a definite sarcasm.

And without another word, the fight was commenced.

There was a steady rhythm of metal against metal, steel against Escudo, a clanging sound that rang and echoed throughout the empty corridors of Xander's palace. Driven by anger, Umi matched the formidable general blow for painstaking blow. Parries and blocks, thrusts and lunges met in an intricate dance, a tango that could mean life or death, liberty or imprisonment. It was a lethal waltz to invisible music, and they were making up the steps as they went along.

The dance went on for an indeterminate length of time, and when they finally stepped a little farther apart to catch their breath. Swords remained raised, muscles still taunt and battle-ready, eyes never leaving the other's face. Both were breathing heavily, and Umi moved her free hand to her forehead to brush away a few beads of perspiration that had dotted there. She saw the same marks of exhertion on Aeric's face, though he made no attempt to wipe them away.

"Shall we continue?" he asked after a moment of silence that had been tempered only by their heavy breathing. Umi merely raised her sword again in acceptance of his challenge.

And so the dance began anew.

"So what of Xander's plans?" Umi asked, expertly blocking another of his blows. "What does he want with Cephiro and the Magic Knights? I know you know."

"It is simple," he responded, lunging again as she spun neatly out of the way. "Power. In all worlds, be it yours or ours, there is only power. No good, no evil. Merely power and those who dare to seek it and claim it. My lord will take this power."

Umi found dozens of Harry Potter jokes running through her head, but brushed them aside, knowing that they would fall on ignorant ears. "So he just wants to take over?" Aeric's smirk of a reply told her everything she wanted to know. _So at least I got something out of this. I know what he's after—not that it wasn't totally obvious, but at least it's confirmed. But what's his plan, exactly? There's no way I'll get this bastard to tell me. Crap…_

"Tell me, Umi," Aeric said smoothly once a few minutes of silent swordplay had passed. "I believe I asked you a question earlier—your role as a Magic Knight. Have you an answer for me yet?"

"You're trying to distract me. It won't work," Umi snarled, hiding the fact that he had brought up the one topic she didn't want to discuss. Her doubts were already securely in place, and they were in no need of any reinforcement.

"And you, milady, are avoiding the question," he replied smoothly.

_Don't fall into the trap…don't fall into it. It's a trap. He's baiting you, don't listen… _Umi repeated that over and over again in her head, a mantra to protect her own sanity. She simply said, "My friends and I are none of your concern. So back off." She slashed at him, and her surprise was as great as his own when the sound of tearing cloth accompanied that slash.

She had caught the hemline of his cape with her sword, slicing a neat tear across the bottom of the fabric. The first blow actually landed during their little duel in the hallway. Aeric's eyes visibly widened in surprise, while Umi allowed herself the tiniest amount of gloating before the somber mask crashed back down over her features, the mask of a Knight engaged in a battle for her life and freedom.

But Aeric recovered quickly and threw her a smile. "So you landed a hit. I applaud you. Perhaps the stories I have heard of your helplessness in battle were exaggerated." She did not reply, though her eyes hardened in a way that even she could not control. "You guard your secrets well, Magic Knight. But I can see through you. You know I'm right. I'm sure that your so-called friends would agree, were they here. If they even care enough, that is."

That was it. Umi's tenuous hold on her temper snapped, and she lashed out with her sword. In the instant that he moved to avoid it, she spun nimbly on one foot, circling her other leg up in a flawless roundhouse kick; it was almost her signature move. Out of all the self-defense manuevers Hikaru had taught her, this was the one that suited her best, utilizing her long legs and a sense of balance honed from years of fencing.

He had been expecting the sword blow, but not the kick, and her foot slammed into his face. She took great pleasure in making sure that her heel rammed right into his nose, though the crunching sound that made was enough to make her cringe.

The shock of the direct hit to the face was enough to make the sword fall from his hand; it clattered noisily to the ground as he followed suit, tumbling to the floor, clutching his wounded face. Despite his hand being in the way, Umi saw a thin trickle of blood running from his nose.

Aeric recovered quickly and grabbed at his fallen sword, but it was too late. The tip of Umi's Escudo-made sword was pointed at his throat, and her eyes were glimmering darkly at him. "Don't. You. EVER. Talk about my friends like that again, do you understand me?" The point of her blade touched the skin on his neck. "Or it _will_ be your last." Something about the way she said it left no room for doubt.

But the swordsman still smirked at her. "Doesn't it bother your friends, the way they always have to look out for you and protect you the way they do? How many times have they had to pull you from danger? How many times have they been hurt for your sake?"

The sword in Umi's hand trembled ever so slightly. But Aeric did not miss it, and he grinned.

"And furthermore, would you like to know how truly pathetic you are, Umi?" he said sweetly, though there was that ever-present tinge of condescending smugness underneath is. "You let me escape again." And he faded from sight. There one second, and gone when she blinked.

"W-wait!" Umi yelped belatedly, but it was too late. He was gone.

She was alone in the corridor, with nothing but her sword and her dark, dark thoughts.

_You messed up again, didn't you? _that cruel, unforgiving little voice in her head said. It had a tendency to pop out the most at times like this. _Let him get away, got no information. Nothing. Can't you do anything right? Maybe he was right…you are a failure._

"Shut up…" she whispered, willing that little notion to go away and never rear its ugly head again.

"Are you all right, Umi?"

"Umi, are you okay?"

The chorus of two voices speaking in near unision made her jump, startling her out of her thoughts. She slammed a smiling mask down onto her face, shutting away any and all insecurities. Then she turned and bestowed that charming, winning grin on Hikaru and Fuu, both of whom were sprinting towards her. "I'm absolutely fine, you guys. No problems here. I'm glad you found me before something happened, though. But why aren't you guys with your partners? What's going on?"

"All kinds of really weird stuff started happening—people got separated, stuff falling from the ceiling, attacks…we decided to regroup and either go together or get out of here," Hikaru said in a rush; her sword was clutched possessively in her hand. "Then I guess that Xander guy sent some of his thugs to get us. I ran to find you, and ran into Fuu, and Ferio went ahead to the fight."

"We've gotta get back there and help them!" Fuu cried. "Let's go!"

Swallowing her doubts, Umi nodded grimly, and the three Magic Knights raced back towards the battle that was threatening their dear friends. But she was taken aback when Fuu touched her shoulder and leaned over to her in mid-stride and whispered, "You're not okay, you're lying through your teeth. When we get back to Cephiro, we need to talk."

Umi looked startled, but nodded mutely before turning her attention back towards the finish line.

_o_

_o_

The clang of swords and the swearing of those lost in the moment and the heat of battle were the sounds that invaded Umi's ears as she followed Hikaru and Fuu back to the turret at top speed. They had been accosted at the spot where they had landed, and returned to be picked up by mashin and flying craft.

The group from Cephiro had just barely reconvened when a small detachment of soldiers had descended upon them, and the battle had quickly been joined. Each of the Cephireans fought according to their own skills and talents: Ferio and Presea relied entirely on the sword, Lantis and Lafarga were using both blade and magic, and Ascot had called some of his fiercest friends to combat the threat, sending some of Xander's forces scattering. The Magic Knights dove into the fray headfirst, first with swords, and then with magic of water, wind, and fire.

The floor was littered with the wounded, the dying, and the dead—all wearing the black armor that marked them as the enemy. There were precious few scratches, cuts, and bruises marking the Cephirean team as having been in a fight, but everyone was all too aware of how quickly that could change. A second's lapse in concentration, a hidden knife…there were a thousand and one ways for all of them to get themselves killed—few of them pleasant.

But this stopped none of them from engaging in fierce combat. They were outnumbered, by and large, but their skills more than made up for their numerical shortcomings.

Fuu was being particularly vicious against those who chose to challenge her. She had a lot of anger as of late, and though normally she would have felt horrible about what was happening, those poor nameless, faceless minions had crossed her at the wrong time.

Ferio.

Caliana.

Whatever had happened to Umi.

She had never been so angry in her life, or so hurt and heartbroken. And so her fury, her wrath, her vengeance was laid upon the heads of these nameless individuals. Later, she would mourn. But right now, she was taking out as much of her frustration as was possible.

The fight was almost over. At the rate things were going, they would take out the last of these minions and be gone within a few more minutes.

Slicing down another one (not a killing blow, but definitely one that would put the man on the sidelines for the rest of the fight), she whirled around, looking for another fight, another opponent…

…and froze.

No…no!

There was a burst of green light as her sword was sent back into her gem, and she ran, a mad dash that led her all the way across the room. She shoved past a blockade of black-armored figures, desperate to make it. Time went stone-still around her, yet it seemed like she would never get there before…

Yes…

_Yes…_

Her hands closed around soft linen fabric; her cheek pressed against something solid and warm. And something sharp plunged into her back, held by the hand of another. She couldn't even scream; she managed nothing more than a choked gasp. But she clung to that fabric with every ounce of her rapidly-depleting strength. She felt so tired…

Around her, the room went silent and still, punctuated only by a few gasps. Hikaru screamed.

Ferio went rigid, eyes wide in the horror of realization. He didn't even have the wits to move.

The slight pressure on his back abated as she moved; the hands clutching at the back of his tunic loosened, then released their grip entirely as Fuu slowly slide to an unmoving heap on the floor. A long dagger protruded from her back.

A dagger that had been intended for Ferio.

There was no movement in the room whatsoever for a long, tense minute. Then Ferio let out a strangled cry, a sound torn violently from a masculine throat, and fell to his knees; his sword clattered to the stone floor beside him, but he ignored it. In a heartbeat, he had wrapped his arms around the limp form, cradling Fuu as gently as a mother would hold her child.

In a burst of unabridled fury, Umi's sword sliced the air—and the black-armored man whose hand had held that dagger let out a scream and fell writhing to the stone floor, spurting blood from a gaping wound on his lower torso. The last few minions turned and fled.

The fight was over. They had won the battle.

But…at what cost?

The Cephirean team watched the scene, unsure of what to do. Presea sheathed her sword, biting her lip to hold back the flood of tears that had welled in her eyes. Hikaru wept without shame beside her. Tiny rivulets of waters ran down Umi's face, but none dared approach right away.

The dagger lay on the ground beside Fuu, covered in something crimson and sticky. Ferio had pulled it from her shoulder when he'd gathered her to him. And now, the proud Cephirean Prince was clinging to the fallen Knight, whispering something that no one else could hear, even in the silence.

"I—I think…" Lantis started, but faltered. It was probably one of the few times in his life he had ever been at such a total loss over what to do. Finally, he sighed. "I'll get the flying craft the Creator gave us. The sooner we can get her back to Cephiro, the safer she'll be." This seemed to break the tension in the room to a certain degree, and everyone slowly began to move towards the edge of the roof in search of their escape vehicles.

Still kneeling on the floor, still holding the unmoving form to him, Ferio whispered, "Please don't leave me…please don't leave me…I love you…"

And in the faintest of whispers, merely a hitched breath tumbling across otherwise unmoving lips, Fuu's voice. "I'm sorry…but…I love you…"

A beam of green light suddenly tore Fuu from his arms as she was pulled into the safety of Windam, her mashin. The rumbling baritone echoed to everyone's thoughts. _: I will not allow my Knight to perish. She shall not die. I shall take care of her.:_

No one questioned the spirit-god's word.

The team piled into Mokona's flying craft, and the other two Magic Knights summoned their mashin. And on all fronts, it was a long, silent ride back to the palace. Precious little information had been gained…but they had something.

Though nothing they had gained, they all knew, was worth the life of their friend.

_o_

_o_

The throne room erupted into something very similar to mass hysteria. Kagura and Caldina were screaming at the top of their lungs; the resulting cacaphony could have shattered glass. Takeshi was swearing quite colorfully under his breath, and Clef was already throwing out orders to waiting servants to prepare for the return of the miniature army.

But no one noticed the two who seemed so calm. Tama had not moved or spoken at all since the fight had unfolded; even now, she simply watched silently through wide blue eyes that were enormous in her pale face. And beside her, Caliana was much the same—quiet, and contemplative.

It wasn't until a few moments later that any calm words were spoken. "They really do love each other, don't they?" Soft and even, the question was a boulder dropped into a puddle; somehow, it was heard by all, even over the hysterics.

The throne room went completely still as everyone looked at Caliana questioningly.

She pushed her hair back with one hand—she hadn't bothered to put it up that morning, opting instead to leave it hanging its full length, partway down her back—and regarded them with cool, calm eyes. "I know none of you seem to think very highly of me. But let me make something clear. I am here because my father arranged this union. No one told me that the Prince's heart already belonged to another."

Caldina's jaw was openly hanging on the floor. Clef looked as though he was about to say something, but Caliana continued, and he shut his mouth very quickly as she went on. It was quite obvious that the Aldarbian Princess had been holding her peace for quite some time now, and her feelings were finally coming out into the open.

"Furthermore, it is not my fault that Fuu was not told of the impending arrangement, nor was I out of line in assuming that it was common knowledge. I am very sorry that the young woman had to find out in such a way, and had I known, I would have handled the situation far differently than I did, but the sad fact is that I cannot change the past. I will do what I can to set things right between Fuu and the Prince. I will not, however, shoulder the entire blame for the situation."

Throughout this entire statement, never once did Caliana raise her voice; her tone remained even and calm. Her hands were folded demurely in front of her, chin slightly raised in a decidedly-regal air. And her expression was not the usual shuttered look that she was wont to wear. Instead, it was the same as her voice—relaxed, and completely composed. It was as though a mask had been lifted.

She sidestepped a shocked Caldina and headed towards the door. "They shall return presently. I would like to speak with Fuu at that time." A soft smile crossed the Princess' face. "I have a feeling that she will be fine. She does not seem like the type to be beaten by something like that."

Without another word, she left the stunned silence behind.

_o_

_o_

Umi bit her lip in vexation, willing herself not to cry. But the attempt was in vain.

Nestled within the heart of her mashin, she was afforded enough privacy that she decided to let a few of her frustrations out. They came out as tears, a few tiny rivulets that streamed down her face. She brushed desperately at her eyes with one gloved hand, but they persisted. One gave way to dozens, and her gloves soon held a certain salty dampness.

_:Umi…:_ Selece's booming baritone was surprisingly timid in her mind, as though the mighty spirit-god was unsure of whether or not he should dare intrude into the private thoughts of his Magic Knight, so obviously upset at that moment.

"It's okay," she waved a hand, as though brushing the words away. "Just…just give me a second."

A few deep breaths and exertion of iron will brought her emotions back under control. The tears subsided, and she was proud that her breathing only trembled a little bit, a tremor that faded with each breath she took until she was completely under that iron control. Her eyes were red, but that last telltale sign would hopefully fade soon.

Fuu…her sweet, soft-spoken friend. The brains behind their circle of friends. The quiet, consistent voice of reason when their scheming and goofing off got out of hand, but the one at the forefront when practical jokes were within the bounds of reason, sanity, and not getting arrested.

Fuu, who had been blessed and cursed to fall in love with a mysterious wanderer in the Forest of Silence, a swordsman who turned out to be none other than the Prince of Cephiro himself. The younger brother of the one they had killed. Her heart had been shattered, and yet she pressed on; after the first few hours of overwhelming disbelief and crushing heartbreak, she had stalwartly refused to give in to her loneliness, instead focusing on Cephiro and the task at hand. After all, she was a Magic Knight. She had made a promise to the land, and she would keep it, no matter her own pain.

She wasn't going to die. Windam had given his word that his Knight would not perish, and she believed him. She had learned long ago that few things were more trustworthy than a spirit-god's word. So Fuu would survive. But what about her heart? She had been willing to give her very life…

As the crystalline palace of Cephiro loomed ahead, Umi brushed away the last of her own emotions and pulled down a mask she had donned so long ago. Her first focus needed to be her friends and her duties as the Knight of Selece. Her own problems would have to wait.

But she was still in awe of her friend. Fuu had been prepared to die for Ferio.

She wondered if she would ever have that kind of courage.

_o_

_o_

The residents who had remained at the palace waited anxiously as the three mashin zoomed into view; the flying craft Mokona had whipped up for them was trailing along behind them. It was Lantis' spirit-horse, however, which landed first. In a flare of magic, the creature vanished, and he waited with the others with absolutely no patience.

Finally, there were three beams of light in the colors of the Magic Knights—red, blue, and green. Red and blue produced two girls who seemed to be in relatively good health. The green materialized into an unconscious young woman, laid out on her back on the ground.

Lantis didn't even wait for anyone to say anything. He stepped around Hikaru and moved to the unconscious Knight's side. In one fluid movement he scooped the unresisting form into his arms and headed down the corridor, following Hikaru's quick footsteps towards the hall that housed the rooms allocated to the Magic Knights for the duration of their stay in Cephiro.

Umi watched them leave, brows knitted together in thought. She heard a movement behind her, and turned her head to see Ferio starting after Lantis. She frowned, then smiled sacchirinely. "Oh, Ferio?"

He stopped. The opportunity was perfect, especially because Fuu wasn't there to protect him.

Giving into the singular urge she'd had since this whole mess had started, Umi pulled back a fist, and slammed it into Ferio's cheek with all the force she could muster, landing a perfect punch on his face. Even as tired as she was, it was a considerable amount of force, spurred by her anger over Fuu's situation and a certain amount of frustration over her own doubts and misgivings. Coupled with the fact that he simply wasn't expecting it, the blow was enough to send the Cephirean Prince tumbling to the ground with a few drops of blood already dripping from his nose.

"You're a selfish son of a bitch, and for your sake you had better hope she pulls through," Umi growled, glaring down at him. Braver men than Ferio would have quailed beneath that murderous glare; it was the one she normally reserved as a last resort for males that didn't understand the meaning of the words 'leave me alone.' This was a glare that was probably capable of killing small animals.

Not bothering with any further, ah, pleasantries or explanations—not that such things were really required at this point—she turned on her heel and stalked after Fuu, leaving him half-sprawled on the floor.

For a long moment, no one moved. They were all too stunned.

Their collective surprise was furthered when Caliana broke away from Caldina's side and gave her fiancée a glare that was surprisingly similar to the one Umi had so generously bestowed upon him only moments before. "I think you deserved that." She turned to Presea and addressed the pharle in a far more pleasant tone. "When the Magic Knight awakens, please let me know. I wish to speak with her."

Everyone stared, flabbergasted, as the Aldarbian Princess strolled away, head held high.

_o_

_o_

The fine white silk slid over his hands with the slightest of hissing sounds. Xander examined the gloves with a well-trained eye, and smiled. Ah, such were the finer things in life.

Behind him, Aeric waited silently, a mere touch of anxiety betrayed in his endlessly-fidgeting hands. He would know his fate in a few scant moments.

Finally, apparently satisfied with his gloves, Xander turned to his general, looking far too calm for Aeric's liking. "You know, this could work out quite nicely." He almost seemed to be thinking out loud. "Yes, I think we can turn this recent string of events to our advantage." A pause, followed by a smirk. "That will do quite nicely, I think. You were quite brilliant to instill doubt in our water-lily. It will make things much easier."

Aeric bit back a sigh of relief and merely bowed in thanks.

"I think the Magic Knight will take care of our little problems for us," Xander smirked.

_Magic Knight? _Aeric briefly pondered why it was a singular noun, but he was pretty sure he could guess which Knight his lord was referring to. He shoved the thoughts aside and forced himself to continue listening as Xander went on.

"It is time, my friend," Xander rubbed his newly-gloved hands together with careful precision. "We shall begin, but it seems that our plans will change. We will not start with Cephiro."

_o_

_o_

_o_

**AN: **Have I mentioned that I feel reeeeeeeeeally bad when I don't update for a long time? So when I finally have some time to write, I tend to haul ass. I hope nobody's mad at me for this taking ages and ages. Finals are done, and I done good!

So yeah, I hope the fight scenes came out all right. I mean, I'm the master of my own school of sword technique—The Art of Sticking Pointy Things into Fleshy Things (a thousand nerd points to anyone who knows where I picked up _that_ little gem). In other words, this was a definite challenge.

But I had a lot of fun with Caliana's little outburst up there, though. I've been looking forward to her finally speaking her mind for a while now. She'll have a nice big part in the next chapter. I'm very happy with how her character ended up. Developing her was fun! Also, I apologize for some language that suddenly invaded this story, but I just write things like they appear in my head (while omitting the occasional odd zebra and whatnot). Besides, I just really like the image of Jesus on a pogo stick…

…I really hope I'm not going to hell for this…

Enough of my rambling. Hopefully, the next chapter will be up a little faster. I had no illusions about writing this one sooner simply because I knew finals were staring me in the face. Thanks for reading!

**NEXT CHAPTER: **Doubt is a very difficult weed to uproot once it's been planted in the soil of your mind. Umi is about to learn this lesson the hard way, and her friends might have to pay for it…


	11. More Than Meets the Eye

**AN: **Yay! I didn't go another three months without updating!

There was some slight irritation from some of you over the length of time between updates (I could sense it with my psychic powers). Please understand, and I know a lot of you do, that my schoolwork is my top priority, and when it comes down to finals week and such, that takes precedence. I got very busy near the end of last semester, so all else pretty much went on hold. I do apologize for the wait, but I have to keep focused, lest my GPA end up being very not pretty anymore.

I very much appreciate your patience and words of encouragement. I also got a kick out of the several reviews that referenced the idea of Jesus on a pogo stick. Those just made me chuckle. You guys rock!

So appreciative, in fact, that I'm updating again. Yay fun! Luvs to all! I don't own MKR :grin:

_o_

_o_

_o_

**More Than Meets the Eye**

Warm…

Warm…

Where was she?

Fuu winced slightly, vaguely aware that she was not where she had been. Her last memory was of diving forward, that sheer desperation, that sharp, searing pain in her shoulder, and then…darkness. Darkness and silence.

And utter, utter terror.

But at the tiny twitch of her eyebrow, she heard voices.

"She's waking up!"

"She's finally coming around!"

"Fuu? Open your eyes, sweetie."

After a moment's struggle, Fuu managed to obey that last voice, and willed her eyes to open the tiniest bit. Her eyelashes fluttered dangerously, threatening to weigh her eyes down again, but she forced herself to awaken. She found herself staring into the worried faces of her female friends.

"Fuu…" Umi, sitting on the bed beside her, heaved a sigh of relief and slid her arms around her friend's neck in a light embrace. "God, don't ever scare us like that again, you hear me?"

Hikaru clambered over to the other side of the bed and claimed Fuu's arm. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said softly, offering up the first genuine smile she'd displayed in the many days since Caliana's proclamation and her confrontation with Ferio—she hadn't told anyone of that passionate moment in the palace corridor, but it had brought her mood down noticeably.

Even Kagura—a girl who, at her most hyper, could make even the ever-energetic Hikaru blanch and back away—looked completely somber. She sank down onto the bed beside Umi and reached out to take Fuu's unclaimed hand in her own. "You are," she said slowly, "without a doubt, one of the most amazing person I have ever met in my entire life."

The Wind Knight looked faintly uncomfortable. "No…not really…"

"You missed it, though," Hikaru giggled in spite of the serious atmosphere. "Windam healed you, but you were unconscious. Lantis carried you back to your room, and Ferio tried to follow, but Umi stopped him—and she punched him. She punched him right in the face!"

"Umi! Why would you do something like that?" Fuu's expression shifted to shock as she admonished her friend; still, she couldn't quite keep the amused smile from peeking through. "Honestly, what am I going to do with you?"

"Fuu…why?" Kagura asked, her voice dropping even lower; the mood immediately great somber again. "Why would you do that for him? After what he did to you?" It was a question that the other two already knew the answer to, but they waited patiently for the answer to come.

Fuu's smile faded slightly as she answered a question she knew Kagura had been desperate to ask since day one. "I love him, Kagura. I have for so long…I just can't imagine not loving him. And if I stopped him from being hurt or being killed…then I have no regrets about what I did." She leaned forward, looking each of them in the eye individually and holding that gaze with such sadness. "Kagura…Umi…Hikaru…please. Please understand. I—I can't lie to myself."

"But the wedding…" Hikaru murmured sadly. "And we'll have to go back to our own world…"

"Maybe we can't be together in the end. We're from two different worlds…" Fuu's voice was sad, but strong. "But I know what I feel. I understand my feelings. We both have our responsibilities. Mine are as a Magic Knight, his are as the Prince of Cephiro. And it's for the greater good, this alliance. I can't turn my back on the people who might suffer if I interfere."

"Sacrificing your own happiness for everyone else…Fuu, that's so like you," Kagura sighed, her words colored by that same sadness and a hint of admiration. "You're so giving."

"Just like Princess Emeraude…" Umi whispered.

No one had an immediate answer for that…

_o_

_o_

It was some time later before Fuu was able to usher her well-meaning friends from her room. They wouldn't let her get out of bed or anything—not that the sensible Wind Knight was really eager to go gallivanting around the palace or anything. She knew how close she had come to dying earlier that day, and although Windam's magic had pulled her back from that horrible brink, she wasn't in any hurry to strain herself. That would come in due time, with a battle looming over them in the near future.

Best to just rest now. Even with her mashin's help, she was still exhausted. And there were some tired parts of her that no magic could heal right away. So she pleaded exhaustion and shooed Umi, Hikaru, and Fuu out of the room. Now she was simply sprawled on her back in bed, eyes drifting lazily over the ceiling, not really looking at anything in particular, but merely letting her thoughts go.

She had a lot of things to think about.

Umi was right. She was denying her own happiness for the world of Cephiro. Wasn't that what Princess Emeraude had done? But in thinking about it, there were differences between their situations. Emeraude had been the Pillar of this world; had her heart strayed, the world would have been cast into darkness. When she had fallen in love with Zagato, monsters had overrun the land. And Fuu was fairly certain that no worlds were going to collapse in on themselves because she had given her heart to someone.

Still, the pain was one and the same. Loving someone that you knew you couldn't be with.

She hadn't given into it since their second expedition into Cephiro, when they had fought Debonair and halted the invasions. Knowing that she would probably never see Ferio again, she had simply buried her feelings and gone about her life. Umi and Hikaru knew—Hikaru understood it all too well.

Another thought occurred to her then: how did _Ferio_ feel? This wasn't exactly a solo sport they were playing; he had to be feeling something over all that had happened. Granted, she hadn't exactly given him a chance to tell her what he thought, what he felt. It wasn't until that one angry, beautiful moment when he had finally cornered her and…gods, that all-too-brief second relived itself over and over again, in her fondest dreams and worst nightmares.

What would happen to them now?

Fuu sighed. There really were no easy answers in life, were there?

The knock on the door made her start. She frowned at her own jumpiness, then cleared her throat, put a smile on her face, and called pleasantly, "Come in!"

The door swung open a few inches, moving soundlessly on well-oiled hinges. And Fuu barely kept her jaw from dropping when Caliana's face peered around the door. "Can you spare a moment?" Fuu nodded mutely, and the Aldarban Princess slipped silently into the room, pushing the door closed behind her. There was a soft click as they were momentarily shut off from the rest of the palace.

The girl's face was paler than usual, and her usually-void expression was…repentant? She certainly looked more relaxed. Her dark hair was unbound from how it had been the few other times Fuu had seen the Princess, when it had been twisted and braided up into an ornate configuration held in place by several large, decorative ornaments. Now, it was simply falling in loose waves down her back. Even her clothing was different, calmer—not the elaborate robes of a Princess, but more of a men's style clothing: white pants, white boots, a white long-sleeved shirt, and a loose, thigh-length blue tunic cinched with a wide white belt. No less regal, but definitely not what one would expect from royalty.

Caliana seemed hesitant, walking slowly across the room to stand beside Fuu's bed. Her hands were intertwined in front of her, and kept wringing together nervously. "I am sorry to bother you. I know you need rest to recover from…what happened," she looked distressed at the mere thought, "but I feel that you and I have something that we need to discuss."

Fuu swallowed hard and gave voice to the unspoken implication. "Ferio…"

"May I sit?" At Fuu's nod, Caliana carefully pulled up a chair and gingerly took a seat on it. She looked at her hands in her lap for a moment before raising her gray-brown eyes to meet Fuu's. "How are you feeling? Are you recovering?"

"I'm fine," Fuu said honestly, not letting it show that she was a bit wary.

But she couldn't keep her amazement from showing when Caliana bluntly said, "I owe you an apology. A very big one, I'm afraid." There was a pause before the Princess continued. "I wish I could change what has happened. All of it. But things do not work that way, so an apology is all I can offer you." She held Fuu's gaze without fear and without arrogance. "I'm so sorry…" The words trailed off, as Caliana finally broke the communion of their eyes and looked down at her hands.

Fuu sat mutely, swathed in blankets, mouth hanging wide open. She would have said something, but she sensed that there was more to what her guest wanted to say, and so she waited silently for Caliana to continue, unsure of where this would go from here.

When the Princess raised her head again, there was a smile on her face—calm, placid, and gentle. "I am breaking the arrangement that our governments formed between myself and the Prince," she said lightly. "I will not be a party to breaking two hearts, and I know that the alliance-union is not necessary to maintain our peace."

The Wind Knight's heart jumped out of her chest, but with her typical practicality, she felt she had to protest. "But…but what about the alliance? Cephiro? Aldarba? How can…" She took a deep breath and tried again, fighting to stay calm when all she really wanted to do was throw her arms around Caliana's neck and thank her. "What about all the politics? Your governments? I understand Ferio's duty to Cephiro as well as I understand my own. What would this do to your peace?"

Caliana waved her arguments aside. "Do not worry yourself over it. I will handle my father, my government, and my people. Whether or not there is this union, the alliance and treaty will stand. I will not let it be any other way." She drew herself up a little taller, a touch of pride coloring her very posture as well as her next words. "I am the Princess and Heir to Aldarba. My words carry much weight, Lady Fuu. And if you can find it in your heart to forgive me…I would be eternally grateful."

The words sounded a bit melodramatic, but Fuu sensed that the Princess sincerely meant them. And she was not going to deny her the forgiveness she sought, especially not when Fuu herself blamed the Princess for nothing. "Of course I forgive you. There's nothing to forgive." Fuu sighed and leaned back into the expanse of pillows. "We all just got caught up in a bad situation that wasn't any of our faults, and we're working through it, that's all."

It was then that Fuu realized she was talking to Caliana as easily as she would talk to Hikaru—she was relaxed, and bore no worries that whatever she said would be passed along to inappropriate ears. It was like chatting with an old friend—there was so much they could say, so much to tell each other, yet being able to just fall right into the pattern of conversation, as though no time at all had been missed.

While Fuu was speaking, Caliana had been toying with her hands. As Fuu's words trailed off, Caliana pulled something small from her hand and held it out to Fuu. "Here. I believe this belongs to you. Therefore, you should have it." Questioningly, Fuu took the item and stared at it. It was a ring, a small golden band with what looked like tiny runes engraved onto the side.

Caliana waited a moment before enlightening her. "I do not know how familiar with Cephirean writing you are, but those characters mean _Bound forever_ in Cephirean. It was given to me as a symbol of my intent, but if the arrangement has been dissolved, I should no longer keep this. It was the Prince's." A strange sparkle danced across Caliana's eyes. "If you do not want it, would you please return it to the Prince for me?"

The Green Knight stared at it for a moment, then looked up at Caliana, and nodded once.

"Thank you," the Aldarban Princess rose. "I apologize for making a haste exit, but I must make the arrangements to return to my own country and handle my father and the Council." She sighed and—in a surprisingly Umi-like move that stunned Fuu—rolled her eyes. "I have a sense that my advisors will want to strangle me in my sleep for this…"

Fuu couldn't help but laugh. Then her expression softened into a genuine smile. "Thank you…"

_o_

_o_

"No, no, no…"

Umi cringed and curled up into a little ball on her bed, huddled in the darkness of her room, but it wouldn't stop. Images assailed her, playing like movies on repeat, over and over again on the backs of her eyelids, dancing in midair in front of her when her eyes were open, a never-ending barrage.

Memories.

Memories that were hers, but were not as she initially remembered them.

Pictures of moments past, but the pictures had been altered, doctored by unseen hands.

She cowered against the vicious assault. Even things she had forgotten were dredged up from the darkest pits of her memory and hurled at her with the force of hailstones.

Failures. Moments of weakness that had led to something happening to another person. The cruel words of others, both those whispered snidely behind her back or uttered boldly to her face. Shortcomings. Doubts, so many doubts, of all shapes and sizes, dragged up from every corner of her life. There was the harshness of helplessness, and the emptiness of hopelessness…

In her semi-hallucinatory state, Umi was glad that her ovum-gem was on the other side of the room. It held her sword, and she was very nearly in a state where she might actually try to use it. But no…she wouldn't. She had to face their enemy.

It was so dark. Where was the light?

Her unknown protector had told her to hold on, to not them beat her. But this was her own mind—there was no way to struggle against the demons that came from within. She couldn't fight her own thoughts and hope to win. And where was her shadow-guardian now?

A cry escaped her as one particularly harsh memory flashed across her mind—in seventh grade, someone she had considered to be a close friend had turned tail on her. She had nearly forgotten about it, but now the loathing of the past sent shivers running through her. The memories piled up on top of her like so many stones, in an attempt to press her to death. Tears screamed from her eyes, and sobs racked at her slender form, curled on the bed.

_I have to find light…_ Umi decided through her haze, clambering off the bed. She fell to the floor instantly, and felt almost nauseous at her own weakness. But she crawled across the floor, leaving the tiniest of trails as tears fell from her face onto the rug, marking their contact points with small wet spots. She hurt. Her entire being—physical, mental, and emotional—was pain-wracked and terrified.

She needed to find the light. She knew from her dream that the light was safe.

The darkness would swallow everything.

Something slammed into her then, with all the force and pain of a baseball bat crashing into her back. A scream of pain and terror escaped her, but it barely made it beyond her lips before it was silenced, muted by something she couldn't see.

"_Umi!"_

She heard a chorus of voices calling her name, and she could see hands, wearing white gloves, reaching towards her in the darkness. Those hands were glowing. They held the light. The light meant safety. But she could not reach the light. She could only claw desperately at the darkness as it closed around her and suffocated her.

"_Umi!"_

That choir of voices coaxed her again, the Seraphim calling her spirit towards the heavens. She wanted to answer, more than anything. But her arms and legs gave out under the crushing blackness, and she felt the floor under her stomach and nose as her entire body went limp. Instantly, she felt something running over the full length of her body, icy right through her clothes. It seemed to weave itself around her limbs, rendering them numb.

"_UMI!"_

The voices called again, this time more fearful than coaxing. But she could not reach them and the safety she somehow knew they could give her. She could only lie there on the floor, helpless and unmoving, completely lifeless as the darkness coiled around her, the serpent at last feasting on its prey. It was so cold; her eyes fell closed, it was just too much of a struggle to keep them open any longer. She was so scared. And so alone…she didn't want to be alone like this…she couldn't win.

She couldn't face the darkness alone…

"_Umi…"_

The light faded, and Umi was left with nothing but the darkness of the room and her heart as something wrapped itself around her mind in a grasp that would never willingly let go…

_o_

_o_

_:UMI:_

The mashin's sudden rumble made Hikaru jump, and she looked up at the ceiling questioningly. "Selece? Is that you? What happened?" Realizing belatedly what he had said, she jumped up. "What happened to Umi? Is she okay?"

Before the Water Mashin could reply, a scream sliced through the otherwise-quiet palace.

Hikaru's heart stopped cold in her chest. "Fuu!"

But there was one already on the move—Ferio sped past her, his sword in hand. Ascot and Caldina were not far behind, and she could hear the telltale clattering of armor that meant Lafarga was on his way as well. She knew that Lantis was on the move, too; his magical aura was speeding towards Fuu's.

Even with Ferio's lead, though, Hikaru overtook him. Without breaking her stride, there was a burst of red light as her sword leapt into her hand; without missing a beat, she summoned a small swirl of fire around her hand, prepared to attack whatever was threatening her friend. Fuu had been wounded too much already; nothing else would hurt her.

The doors nearly flew off their hinges as Ferio and Hikaru burst into Fuu's room, weapons drawn and anger evident on their faces. But they both froze with the horror of realization as they took in the terrible scene before them.

Fuu was sprawled on the floor by the wall; she was wearing her own clothing again, rather than the nightgown they had put her to bed in, but she was barefoot, giving evidence to the idea that she had been caught rather off-guard. She was staring up at her attacker with wide green eyes, riddled with confusion and no little fear. And standing over her, with her back to the newcomers at the door, sword in hand raised and poised to deliver a killing blow…was Umi.

The blade began a downward arc towards Fuu, who was too stunned to move. She closed her eyes in terror. Oh God, she was really going to die this time…this was it…

She heard a grunt, and opened her eyes in time to see Ferio hit Umi with a full-on tackle. His sword clattered noisily to the ground just inside the door, where Hikaru was standing and staring, obviously trying to make some sense out of what she was seeing.

"Fuu! Run!" Ferio shouted the order, and she didn't think twice about obeying it. She scrambled back to her feet and dove across the room to the vanity table, where her precious gem-glove was sitting. With one practiced motion she slid the glove onto her hand and drew her sword, completely ignoring the fact that she was still shoeless and her hair was one good shake away from a full-on afro.

There were more important matters at hand.

The room surged with movement as several things happened at once.

The other residents of the Cephirean palace burst in, armed and looking for the fight.

Fuu and Hikaru moved as one with swords in hand and magic swirling, dashing frantically towards the spot where Ferio was wrestling with Umi on the floor.

A cold breeze whipped through the room.

And Umi swung one foot up and caught Ferio square in the jaw with her heel, knocking the Cephirean Prince backwards onto the decorative rug. There was an audible _clunk _as his head made contact with the carpet _and_ the heavy wooden floorboards that lay _beneath_ the carpet. His expression turned dazed as stars pranced around before his eyes.

But it was enough of a break for Umi to flip over onto her back and spring back to her feet, Escudo sword still claimed in her hand. Her head was down, and her expression was further obscured by the several strands of long cerulean hair that draped loose from her headband and fell over her forehead.

Fuu and Hikaru didn't even have to speak to each other; years of friendship and so much experience fighting together allowed them to synchronize their movements without a word. They each grabbed one of Ferio's arms and hauled him to his feet, shoving him back towards the door where his sword was. He stumbled backwards, ears still ringing from the blow, right into Lafarga; the move was far less than graceful, but it ensured that, for the moment, Cephiro's Prince was not going to be shish-kebobbed on the sword of Cephiro's protector.

Everyone faced Umi, weapons drawn and expressions both hardened and nervous. They waited.

Finally, after indeterminate minutes, the Water Knight's head moved. Slowly, it raised, her hair falling back, until she was standing completely upright, back perfectly straight. Her eyes were closed, her expression perfectly bland.

Again, everyone waited. And when Umi's eyes slid open, they got the answer they had been waiting for. The one answer they had been desperately hoping they would not get.

Umi's eyes were normally a vivid blue. That first night they had come back to Cephiro, something had happened, and her eyes had been glowing, a strange, ghostly azure light that had reflected the presence of someone else within her body. And now…

Black.

There were no irises, no pupils, and no whites to her eyes. There was no depth, no emotion, and no Umi within those eyes. It was just black, the purest shadow. Absolute darkness staring at them from that same bland expression, partially shaded by the fringe of blue bangs. And her magical aura was an absolute mess—it wasn't even Umi's. It was all that same cold, horrible darkness, swallowing up all that which was Umi and spitting out this lifeless shell.

The other two Magic Knights were closest. Hikaru moved first, risking a tiny step towards her friend. Her hand tightened nervously on the hilt of her sword. "Umi…?" she whispered, her voice quavering a tiny bit.

Perhaps that was the magic word, or perhaps she was just waiting for someone to acknowledge her—whatever the case, it got a reaction. Unfortunately, it was not the reaction anyone wanted.

Umi's empty hand, the hand wearing the gem-glove, raised; water spiraled around her arm, and without a word, she let the water loose at Hikaru. They were too close for her to miss, and the Fire Knight didn't have a chance to jump out of the way. She barely had the second she needed to shove Fuu a little further to the left to ensure that she wouldn't get caught in the blast.

The torrent of water hit Hikaru square in the chest plate of her armor, and sent the lithe redhead tumbling backwards with a scream of surprise and pain. She slid across the floor, upending a chair in her wake. She stayed relatively motionless for a moment, gasping for air, before she struggled back to her feet, clutching her side in pain.

Fuu didn't wait for Hikaru to make it all the way to her feet. She simply whirled and retaliated. "IMASHIME NO KAZE!" The binding winds swept from her hands and whirled around her friend, tightening in on the Blue Knight with the intent of holding her firmly in place.

For a moment, it looked as though it would work.

The darkness that radiated from Umi actually seemed to grow, and there was a flare of shadow as the chains of wind visibly _shattered_ around her, leaving her completely free. She didn't waste a breath, but charged with her sword, her velocity spurned on by something that could not have been human.

Umi's blade crashed into Fuu's with a loud clanging sound, and the Water Knight immediately began driving her friend back with harsh, expert attacks. Her background as a fencer shone through, aided by whatever it was that held her this time, and Fuu, whose primary skill lay within archery and for whom swordsmanship was a secondary ability, proved barely able to even defend herself, let alone match her.

It was a rout after that—the entire Cephirean palace seemed to have stirred to try and subdue Umi, though everyone was pulling their hits and watching the level of their attacks lest they hurt their possessed friend, for they were certain that was what had befallen their Knight: possession. Neither Lantis nor Lafarga dared used the magic that lay within their swords, for fear of hurting Umi. Fuu's binding winds would hold her for only scant seconds, and Hikaru (who was back on her feet, if a bit wobbly) wouldn't use her magic at all, save to try and counteract Umi's magic, which was being thrown around like confetti at a New Year's party.

Even when they attacked in pairs, trios, and groups, Umi's blade and magic intercepted them and pushed them back. Metal clashed noisily against metal; magic erupted in retaliation against magic. They couldn't land a single good blow; they couldn't even put a scratch on her. It was as though whatever controlled her also protected her, keeping her from their attacks lest even a drop of her blood be spilled.

After innumerable minutes of attacking and being attacked, of desperate blocking and more attacks, there seemed to be a ceasefire. Hikaru and Fuu stood at the helm of the Cephirean team, who were on one side of the room; most were panting, and Caldina looked downright frightened. Mokona was puu-ing softly from the door, watching the scene with a sort of fearful interest.

On the other side of the room was Umi, standing alone. She didn't seem even the slightest bit out of breath, and no emotion registered itself on her face. She simply stared through eyes that seemed incapable of blinking, and did not move. Even her breathing was barely visible.

And as they watched and tried to figure out where to go from there, something began to happen.

The shadow that had swallowed Umi's aura and mind seemed to swell around her, like pitch-black smoke. It started on the ground by her feet, moving up to her knees, and then up to her waist, a narrow column of pure darkness that moved around her, rustling her hair and clothes with a breeze that touched no one else. When it reached her waist, it stopped climbing over her form; instead, an arm of it continued the upward trek, spiraling around her until it seemed to be peering over her shoulder at them. And then that arm of it shifted and changed until it took on a vaguely human form—a head, two arms, and two gray slits where eyes should have been in the void of a face.

And then it spoke, sliding one shadowy arm around Umi's shoulders in a decidedly possessive gesture. "Well, well, what do we have here?" it hissed; the voice was neuter, neither male nor female, and there was nothing friendly about it. Only the chilling iciness of it. "I suppose you want to help your friend. But I suppose you've also realized that you can't help her anymore. She's ours now." The head moved closer to Umi's, and there was the strange sensation that the shadow-being was kissing her pale cheek.

"Get away from her!" Clef snarled angrily, raising his staff.

"I think not, Master Mage," the being whispered.

"How could you do this to Umi?" Lantis growled, standing behind Hikaru's left shoulder.

To their amazement, the shadow-being laughed, a cruel, bitter sound. "Oh, how little you know, _cail_." It snaked tighter around Umi, pulling closer to her. "I did nothing to Umi. She did all of this to herself." It chucked again, as though it found the whole thing very funny. "Isn't it wonderful what a weapon the mind itself can be when turned on itself? Doubts are so very delicious, yes?"

_Doubts?_ Fuu's mental alerts went off like crazy.

_The mind?_ Clef jolted.

_To herself?_ Hikaru gaped.

There was a flare, and the shadow seemed to melt into Umi, disappearing into her. Throughout this whole exchange, Umi had not moved or blinked. But now, she raised her sword and attacked, and the fight began anew. At some point, it spilled out into the hallway, sending servants screaming and running for safety. But the intensity did not decrease.

Swords continued to cross and clash as friend challenged friend. But no one gave an inch; in spite of their superior numbers and probably superior magic and skill, none of the Cephireans wanted to risk harming their Knight, and so they did not go after her with their full force.

Fuu was silently taking notes on every aspect of the fight, filing everything away in her memory with that quick logic that was her trademark and pride. She would go over this in detail later. Nothing about this battle seemed right, and she felt like she was missing something crucial that was dancing right in front of her. It was not a pleasant feeling.

But even with her watchful eye, if Fuu thought about it for the next hundred years, she could never have figured out how what happened next exactly _happened_. It was too fast, and it should not have happened the way it did.

Umi ducked under Presea's sword and drove her knee into the pharle's stomach, sending the artisan to her knees in pain. Fortunately, Caldina was right behind her, and she managed to draw Umi away from the injured Presea. It was then that things got hairy: Lafarga joined in Caldina's attack, but somehow Umi slipped between them, and floored Hikaru before wheeling on the nearest available target.

Ascot.

Ascot, who had been staying to the back, watching the battle with the same fearful apprehension as the others, and who hadn't really joined in the fight as much, not sure if his particular talent would be of any use in this fight.

Ascot, who now found himself pinned to the wall with the point of a sword at his chin, a sword wielded by a Magic Knight would didn't seem to know her own friends at that moment. A Magic Knight who seemed fully prepared to kill him.

The sword drew back for the death blow. Ascot realized he couldn't move, and there was no way any of the others with weapons would be able to block this. His eyes squeezed closed behind his bangs. It wasn't Umi's fault, she didn't know what she was doing…he didn't blame her…

Strange…death didn't seem to hurt…

He opened his eyes, and surprise clearly wrote itself on his face.

She was still holding the sword, poised and ready; she simply had to drive the blade forward, and it would pierce his throat and end his life. Why wasn't she just doing it? And why was she shaking?

The shadows in her eyes _flared_, and the blade moved. Ascot gasped—

—but it didn't make it. For the second time in the course of this fight, someone struck Umi hard from the side just before she could send a friend to an early grave, sending both her and her assailant somersaulting to the floor. But the Cephireans were all accounted for, with Hikaru and Fuu among their number. So who…?

The newcomer was moving too fast to be easily recognizable, but one feature stood out quite plainly, even as Ascot's savior spun back to a standing position and whirled to face Umi: the shock of long, brown curls that spun around her with every movement.

Kagura.

Who had easily flipped from the floor right back onto her feet. It was then that Fuu nearly smacked herself in the forehead—Kagura was a fencer, and just as light on her feet as their Knight of Water. But more importantly, Umi and Kagura went back far, far further than she and Umi did, back before the days of the Magic Knights. Maybe—just maybe—if somebody could get through the possession and shadows to the real Umi…

That notion was squashed completely flat as Umi rounded on Kagura, and the brunette found herself in a position remarkably similar to the one she had saved Ascot from: a sword-point just barely touched the tender skin at her throat. There was a surge of panic as everyone simultaneously tried to move forward and stop what they were certain would be a horrible tragedy, committed in front of them.

_o_

_o_

Lovely.

So very lovely.

Twin smirks drifted lazily onto two handsome faces.

"I knew she would do it for us," Xander remarked casually.

At his shoulder, Aeric was silent. But the general's eyes drifted lazily over the shadow-wrapped form of the Knight of Selece. It was beautiful, indeed. And to think that he had sparked the downward spiral that had led to this. She had caved faster than he had anticipated.

How perfectly delightful.

And no matter what the outcome, it was a perfect distraction as they made their move.

Cephiro was the ripe fruit dangling from the tree, the prime peach just waiting to be plucked from the branch by opportune harvesters such as themselves. But first, there were other tasty morsels to snatch up and devour first. The prospect was most appealing: watch the prized land cower as the beautiful darkness closed in around it, choking the world into submission.

After all, why not save the best for last?

_o_

_o_

The watchers dove forward, determined to stop Umi from slaughtering a friend right in front of them. They would never make it in time…no…

But Kagura's voice stopped them dead in their tracks. "Are you really going to do it, Umi?"

Everyone froze.

Kagura didn't seem to notice anyone else in the room; her eyes, warm and dark with concern, were fixated solely on her sword-wielding friend. Her expression was grim, but not unkind. "Are you really going to kill me? Then do it. For some reason, you really seem to want to kill me. So do it. If it'll make you happy, do it." There was a tense silence that seemed to stretch on for eons and eons in the space of several breaths. No one moved—Umi included.

Kagura's face shifted then, into a smile that held all the collective sadness in the room. "You don't want to do this, do you? I know you better than that, Umi." She inched back the tiniest step; the sword didn't follow her. "You told me about Princess Emeraude. I know how much that crushed you, and you didn't even know her. You're not a killer. You don't want to do this." Another inch back, putting a little more distance between herself and the instrument that could mean her death.

Umi did not move, per se. But the tip of the sword was starting to quiver the slightest bit.

"I don't know what happened to you," Kagura went on, her tone level and calm. "But if you let us help you…whatever's wrong…we're your friends, right? And that's what friends do." To her chagrin, tears sprang into eyes the color of dark chocolate. A few escaped her eyes and made their way down her face. "Remember the accident? The night my brother…you were there for me. Please, Umi…just put down the sword. We'll figure this out. Whatever happened, I…please…" Words seem to fail her at this point as more tears fell and her breathing became a bit more irregular.

No one moved. No one spoke. No one even dared to breathe loudly. There was something being passed between two friends here, but it was a something that was solely between them, leaving no room at the moment for anyone else to intrude.

But the blade was shaking harder, more visibly now.

"Umi…put the sword down," Kagura said softly, her voice evening out now. "Just drop it."

By this time, everyone could see Umi's hand visibly starting to move, as though she was fighting to unwrap her fingers from around that hilt. One by one, the trembling digits unwound themselves from the sword; slowly, the blade began to dip lower and lower, until it was barely sitting in her hand.

"Just drop it. Just put it down. It'll be okay," Kagura kept repeating. "We'll get you back."

_Clatter._

The sword slid from shaky fingers to the ground, where it landed noisily. Umi's arm didn't drop; it was still poised as though to spear Kagura on now-invisible steel. But her expression was actually wavering, as though she was fighting through something. Kagura took a cautious step forward…

_Darkness…_

The shadows in her eyes flared, and a black aura flashed around her. In a movement so swift everyone barely had a chance to react, she lunged towards the floor, reaching for her fallen blade—

—her wrist was caught mere inches from the sword's hilt, and in one quick movement, Ascot managed to spin her around, catching her other wrist in the process and pinning her arms tightly behind her in an attempt to restrain her. Her back pressed against his chest, a position that at any other time would have sent him straight to the verge of spontaneous combustion, but now only reminded him how desperate he was to keep her from hurting herself or anyone else.

He wasn't quite prepared, though, for her retaliation. He felt one of her hands move…

Water.

A column of water swept up around the two of them, but there was nothing kind about it. It lashed against him, whips made of the sea. It lashed against the both of them without mercy. Ascot felt it cutting into him, tearing at his summoner's robes. But more horrible than that, he could see it doing the same to Umi, ripping her clothes and slicing into her flesh. She was hurting herself with her own magic.

Ascot could faintly hear a racket, punctuated by Caldina's screaming, over the roar of the water around him. But he just winced, squeezing his eyes closed against the pain, and held on as tightly as he could. For his life _and_ Umi's.

"STOP IT!" With a hiss, the shadow erupted around her again, breaking the spell woven by her water-magic and throwing him backwards, away from her. He landed hard on his back, and felt a sharp spasm of pain through his leg. His ankle…had something happened to his ankle?

Umi stood alone in the middle of the hallway now. She was drenched, bleeding from numerous cuts inflicted on her by her own magic. Her sword lay a good enough distance away that she wouldn't be able to retrieve it easily. But she was dangerous enough with just her magic and her hands.

"Umi…" the shadow-voice slithered around her, from within her, "…you must not harm yourself. Eliminate them instead. Those who call themselves your friends…they know nothing about you…"

"Umi!" Kagura called plaintively. She had been thrown aside when the magic had started flying, and was leaning against the wall, watching in horror and worry. But as everyone else started to panic, Fuu frowned. Whatever was holding her friend seemed pretty damned determined that Umi should not be hurt.

Interesting…

The Water Knight turned and looked at those assembled. They were starting to look worn, and were growing more and more alarmed with each passing second. She, on the other hand, didn't look like she'd been doing much of anything. No gasping, no perspiration.

And as everyone watched, Umi's shadow-drowned eyes suddenly flickered to blue.

_o_

_o_

She was suspended somewhere, though she didn't know where. She was immobile, unable to move at all. All she could do was stare into the inky blackness that was the void around her.

Umi wondered what was happening at first. Then, slowly, she began to realize what her body was doing without her permission, and she had been horrified beyond description. But she couldn't fight herself; the tendrils that held her arms, legs, and body were of the darkness that surrounded her, and they would not let her go.

Her eyes stung as tears prickled around the corners of them. She was weeping, producing tears in a place where such things were superficial—what a world. What a world, indeed…

_I don't want this to happen…_ she thought desperately as her body moved. Her hand was holding a sword to Ascot's throat, pinning the young summoner to the wall with intent to kill. Ice wrapped itself around her insides, and something shuddered within her at the very thought. _NO! ASCOT!_

And her body froze. Just for a minute, but just long enough.

And Kagura's intervention. No, no, no…

Umi, in sheer panic, found that she was struggling against that which bound her. Even her thoughts echoed hollowly in her mind as harsh sobs. _I won't hurt them…stop it! Leave them alone! What do you want from me…what do you want?_

"_Umi?"_

Those voices again, the chorus of whispers that seemed almost heaven-sent. She saw those hands again, the holders of the light and safety. Her voice failed her and her arms were still held immobile at her sides, but her desperate, frightened heart reached for them. "_Please…help me…I can't…" _Again, the tears sprang loose, and she hated herself for them and for her own weakness.

A form appeared over her, bathed in the glowing light. "_Come to us, bright one…" _The hands were still extended to her, offering solace, but theirs was a sanctuary she could not move to accept.

"_I can't…"_

"_You can't as long as you doubt," _the voice said softly, as the form above her shaped into a familiar sight by now; she recognized her faceless guardian, hovering above her. "_Accept yourself, and take your freedom. They cannot hold that which will not accept their chains."_

The being floated closer. "_You are the only one who can break your bindings. Then and only then can you regain control of yourself. Don't let them beat you, bright one. Fight against them, and come to us. We can return you to yourself. Please, Umi…" _The angelic voices took on a pleading note. Time was running far too short.

Umi watched as she attacked Ascot again. "_No…"_

I am not worthless. I am not weak.

I will not be their toy, their instrument of death.

I am a Magic Knight.

_Let…_

_Me…_

_GO!_

There was a loud sound as the chains of darkness shattered around her, and she fell.

The hands appeared above her again. "_Come to us!"_

Two in particular stood out for some reason, and she realized that they belonged to her protector. She reached for those, and warmth flickered through her as their fingers touched. The shadow that was her guardian pulled on her hands, pulling Umi to her in a tight embrace.

I want the light.

"_It is almost time," _the gentle voice whispered into her ear as the words began to blur into one another. The next statement was so fuzzy that she could barely make out most of the words—it was the same phrase that haunted her recurring dream. "_Open…arms to…"_

And she felt herself moving upwards, away from the void of shadow.

I want the light.

Take me to the light…

_o_

_o_

"Impossible!" the shadow-voice hissed angrily, and the darkness swarmed to its intended victim.

Umi's eyes were flickering back and forth, between the depths of shadows, and the ghostly glowing blue that had marked their first night back in Cephiro. And the Magic Knight was recoiling violently, trembling and staggering around in a little circle. Her hands flew to the side of her head and pressed over her ears, trying to shut out voices and sounds that came solely from within.

It was a war being waged within the girl's very being, and no one seemed to know what to do. Even Clef, with eons of magical knowledge behind him, stared blankly, wide-eyed, at a total loss.

Tears slipped from under closed eyelids and rolled down her face. Whether they were tears of pain, anger, or something else entirely, no one knew. But Umi's face was contorted, as though she was trapped in the throes of mortal agony. Tiny whimpering noises escaped her, steadily growing louder and louder until she screamed.

Suddenly her head snapped back in a shriek. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" In Umi's voice. No hissing, no strange echo. A normal voice that was twisted in pain.

Blue light exploded around Umi, and a column of shadow shot upwards from her feet, towards the ceiling. They heard the angry hissed squeal as whatever demon had taken their friend was purged. Her hair whipped up around her from the force of it, and she hunched over a little, huddling against the onslaught. Her arms were wrapped around her torso, as though trying to protect herself from it.

The dark cloud vanished; the shadow was gone.

But Umi's hair continued to hover, floating around her like a cloud of blue silk. A gentle blue glow enveloped her. It was not harsh as the darkness had been, but rather was comforting, a sign that the threat was momentarily gone. They had seen this glow before; to their knowledge, it was safe.

Suspicions were confirmed when Umi's head lifted and her eyes opened, revealing that same glow. The voice that spoke through Umi's mouth was identical to the one they had heard their first night back in Cephiro, when whoever was in there had simply used the girl's body to announce their presence. This time, Umi's face was desperately sad, in spite of the smile that the spirit had put there.

"Hello again, everyone," the voice whispered.

"What's going on?" Hikaru half-shrieked, brandishing her sword angrily.

"It's all right now," 'Umi' said quietly. "The danger has passed for the moment. But…" A second of hesitation. "I think you should talk to Umi—_make_ her tell you what's wrong. She's been putting herself through a lot, and that's why this happened." Quickly, the blue-spirit explained to the stunned assembly about Aeric's harsh words and the spiral of doubt that had sprung from them, leaving Umi especially vulnerable to Xander's dark magic.

When he had sprung the darkness upon her, she had been so far gone within her own feelings of inadequacy and loneliness that she hadn't a chance of defending herself from the surprise attack. And she had isolated herself both physically and emotionally, letting no one else know of her worries. That had been a near-fatal mistake, and her friends had nearly paid that terrible price.

"Please, help her," the blue-voice entreated, clasping Umi's hands together in a pleading gesture. "I know you can. Help her recover that which was lost. She must not fall to them—there is still far too much at stake, for all of you."

"What's at stake? What's going on?" Fuu demanded.

"I cannot tell you, or it will all be for nothing…" the voice mused; it then seemed to realize that it had said too much. "I must leave now. But for your sake and Umi's…help her. We will be watching." The glow around Umi flared and vanished; whatever forces had permitted her hair to defy gravity released it to swing down behind her, and her feet once again planted themselves firmly on the ground.

There was dead silence in the room. One could have heard a pin dropped on the pillow.

Umi's head snapped back as a loud gasp escaped her, and she stared at them. Then, without further ado, her eyes, blessedly normal blue eyes, rolled back into her head, and she crumpled, falling forward in a dead faint, right into the waiting arms of Hikaru and Fuu.

"Oh…my…God…" Kagura breathed. Her energy seemed to leave her then as she slumped against the wall. "I can't believe that almost happened…I almost thought she was going to kill me!"

Slowly, the room stirred itself back to motion. Everyone busied themselves in some way; Fuu started by sparing a bit of magic to put everyone's injuries right again. Caldina took charge of the shaken Kagura and Ascot (and for once, she didn't even think of teasing the poor summoner), while Lantis and Lafarga swept out to hold their own council with an equally-shaken Clef.

Hikaru and Fuu, with a little help from Ferio and Presea, herded the unconscious Umi into bed and settled in to wait for their friend to wake up. At Xander's palace, Fuu had promised her a long talk.

Now, it was time to pay the piper.

_o_

_o_

_o_

**AN: **Have I mentioned that I love writing Caliana's character? I seriously do. I also enjoyed writing the scene with Umi and the darkness—it was fairly challenging to get it right. Also, our strange glowy-eye friend is back! WHEE! I like the glowy-eye person. They're nice.

And Kagura gets her big moment. The reference to Kagura having a brother…I'm really not sure. I think it sprang from an image I have in my head of Umi running through the rain, and I just think she's looking for someone. And somehow, Kagura just kind of got put in there. It _might_ become a one-shot fic sometime in the near future. If it does, I'll let you know.

Auntie Candy-chan finally caved beneath the pressures of cold and flu season. I was sick as a dog last week, and missed classes for the first time (due to illness) in my entire college career (I'm a sophomore). I never get sick, so I was pretty miserable. Still have a cough, and my voice is being kind of temperamental as to whether or not it wants to work right—which sucks, 'cause I have voice lessons tomorrow. But anyway, if any part of this came out kind of weird, blame it on the bug!

As always, thanks for reading! Oh yeah, and if we break a hundred reviews, I'll put something special in next chapter. I don't know what it'll be yet (:cough:SUGGESTIONSAPPRECIATED:cough:), but there'll be something. Also, I'll have an important question for you all next chapter, so stay tuned! Geez…the notes are ending up longer than the actual chapter! Ugh! Must not be so long winded!

**Next chapter: **A riddle, if you will—what do you do when your enemy disappears from Cephiro? You follow him, of course, that's what…but to where? And what does this location change mean for Cephiro?


	12. Judging Worth

**AN: **:does the happy dance of joy: WE BROKE A HUNDRED REVIEWS! WE MADE IT! OHMIGOD::continues doing happy dances of joy, trips over own two feet, and falls out the window:

:a few minutes later, a bruised and slightly-bleeding Candy-chan crawls back in the now-broken window and drags herself back to her computer: Owie…that hurt…but anyway, thank you all sososososoooo much, you are all wonderful and I love you!

So on we go—a slightly shorter chapter. I had some demands for fluff, so here we're gonna get some couple-age and tons o' waff and **EXTREME** **sappiness**, and the final piece of the set-up, leading towards the climax of the story. Diabetics, consider yourselves warned! Here goes nothing! I don't own Magic Knight Rayearth. Luvs!

_o_

_o_

_o_

**Judging Worth**

"_Open your arms to…"_

"_Open your arms to…"_

_Umi spun, searching for the source of the words. "Who are you?"_

"_Open your arms to…"_

_Biting her lip, Umi felt no pain. This was a dream, she knew; such physical sensations as pain were meaningless here, utterly superficial. Her sword was in her hand and the glove holding her ovum-gem was tight on her hand, yet she had no target for blade or magic._

_The dream was different this time. There was no scenery, no friends floating unconscious beside her, no tsunami of shadow crashing over everything she held dear, and no protector. There was merely darkness. Nothingness. She was alone, save for that persistent voice._

_The female voice she recognized as her shadow-guardian. The person who had come to her in her cell in Xander's palace. The one who held the demons at bay. The one whose hands carried the saving light and chased off the all-encompassing darkness. Her faceless, unknown guardian angel._

"_Show yourself!" Umi tried to demand, but the words came out as little more than a plea-filled whimper. "Please! Who are you? Tell me who you are! Why do you protect me?"_

"_I cannot answer," the mysterious voice replied. "Please, trust me. And open your arms to…" Again, the message that seemed so important faded in and out of her hearing, leaving her with half a sentence, unable to grasp what she was supposed to do._

"_Why am I so important?" Umi screamed. "Why?"_

"_Open your arms to…"_

"_Wait!"_

"_Open your arms to…"_

_There was a movement behind her, and she turned to see the shadow-outline of a female; even though it was pitch black around her, the figure's outline stood out as clear as day. One hand was stretched out towards Umi. "Please…" the voice echoed, one last time, into the darkness._

_Umi reached back, trying to touch her fingers. This woman was safety; her hands held the light. If she could get to her, she would be safe in the light, where the darkness would destroy everything. She had touched those hands once, been pulled into their embrace, and it had saved her from the night, saved her from the shadows that had sought to claim her soul and her friends._

_A sound behind her deafened her, and the woman's figure exploded with light…_

_o_

_o_

Watching Umi could have been considered his pastime, Ascot thought vaguely.

He was perched on the side of the bed, as close to the edge as he could get without sliding right off. His full attention was focused on the still, slumbering figure stretched out beneath the velvety lengths of the midnight-blue coverlet on the bed.

If one were to ask his personal opinion, he would say that the Knight of Selece resembled a goddess; she seemed the personification of the divine legendary she herself was—a Magic Knight, the girl from another woman who donned the mashin to protect the land.

He simply looked at her. Her hair fanned out around her, standing in contrast to the white sheets and dark blue blanket. Her hands were folded demurely on her stomach; her face, pale and motionless, was turned upwards, closed eyes gazing unseeingly towards the heavens. She was placid, unmoving, angelic. There was nothing in the calm face and slack posture to suggest the turmoil that lay beneath the surface.

Ascot's mind wandered back to the events of the previous hours…

"_Doubts," the unknown within Umi's body spoke through Umi's mouth. "This all stemmed from a single seed of doubt, planted in a frightened, strained mind. When Aeric chose his words, he knew she would never come to you for aid. That would be a weakness, and a weakness was something she thought she could not afford, with _Them _after her."_

_The girl's head bowed, as though in sorrow. "I tried to call to her. We tried to call to her, but it was too late. She could not reach us, and so fell to the darkness." Her head raised again, and she regarded them with what could only be called defiance. "I can only protect her so far, and already my protections are waning. The threat grows stronger, and my powers are draining. I beg you…help her…"_

He shook his head. The general—Aeric. His words had done this to Umi? Who would ever had thought that the strong, capable, passionate girl who wore the armor of Selece would break so easily beneath the dubious weight of a few callous words?

One of his hands unconsciously moved, and before he realized it, his fingers were brushing the side of her face. He suddenly felt very awkward—satin skin like hers should not have been smoothed beneath fingers like his, fingers that were calloused and rough from work. He made a mental note to have a word with his body about this sudden insubordination, but at the same time marveled at the fact that just for that one moment, he could just be here with her, alone and safe, able to just watch her. His heart skittered within him like a metronome.

He remembered a story he had heard—Fuu had offered entertainment in the form of fables from their world. What had she called them—fluffy tales? Fairy tales? Something like that. But he had been enthralled from the first word at the stories—tales of princesses and maidens, trapped away and imprisoned by the forces of evil. The wicked who oppressed. And the handsome knights and princes who rode gallantly into battle against those evil souls to save the princess and carry her away. Happily ever after—that was the phrase Fuu had closed the story with.

During the story, Ascot had stolen a glance at Umi; she had been listening intently, blue eyes shimmering at a story she had probably known since infancy. She had never looked so lovely; in his mind, he called her Princess, something he would never utter aloud. Someday, she would find her prince; she deserved nothing less.

Somehow, though, that thought made Ascot very unhappy.

As he drew his hand away, her face contorted into a mixture of pain and feature, and she began to move, tossing, turning, and thrashing slightly. He leaned carefully over her, peering into her face, feeling a pang of regret that her peaceful, slumbering aura had been disturbed so callously.

Ascot was not prepared for it when she moved, sitting straight up into him, leaving them cheek to check, her chin on his shoulder. For a moment, neither moved. Then her arms moved, twining around his neck and pulling him closer to her.

He didn't have the wits to move for what felt like a very long time. But finally, some instinct kicked in, and he brought his own arms up to slide around her slight frame and pulling her closer to him. He realized, a little belatedly, that she was desperately seeking comfort for some unknown, and he was the only available source at that moment, and that was why she clung to him at that moment. There was probably nothing else behind it; he was living, breathing, safe, and conveniently available—nothing more.

Still, he couldn't _quite_ shush that one little part of his brain—you know, the one that was determined to start up a full-fledged cheering section, complete with pom-poms and doing the Wave.

Instead, he simply waited, silently reveling in the alien feel of her hair in his fingers, like blue silk, and her agitated, unsteady breath grazing his cheek. He realized at that point exactly how much he had grown, in every sense, in the days and months since this girl had literally slapped some sense into him.

And then she was speaking, murmuring into his shoulder. Her frightened, harried whispers were terrified, uncertain of what had happened in the past, and what was yet to come. Ascot wisely said nothing, but gently massaged her back and waited patiently for the tidal wave of panic and terror to subside and her coherency to return.

Finally, she took a deep, shuddering breath, and the torrent of muttering stopped. She did not, however, let go of him, nor did he release her. Ascot merely waited for her to give him a sign of what should happen now. And again, he reflected that he was nowhere near the little boy he had once been.

"I'm scared," Umi finally whispered, the first completely understandable thing she had said since waking up; her hands tightened on his back, clenching handfuls of his summoner's robes in white-knuckled fists. "I don't understand what's happening…I don't know what's going on. Why is this happening? Who are they? _What do they want from me?"_ That last came out almost as a sob, though there was none of the shaking or breathing that would indicate she was crying again. "Oh God…I'm so scared…"

Unsure of what to say, he simply waited for her to calm down.

But as she seemed to calm and the tension flooded from her shoulders, she did not let go of him. If anything, she seemed to hold on tighter. At that moment, he was a constant, unchanging and safe. She knew Ascot would not harm her, and she saw comfort in that consistency.

But finally, though far too soon for Ascot, she drew back; her hands loosened their hold on his clothes, and she pulled back enough that she could look at him. He was somewhat relieved that her eyes were their normal blue color, though they were tempered with incredible sadness.

"Sorry…" she murmured.

"Not a problem," he answered softly. _And not a stutter,_ some part of him commented.

He moved back as she pushed away the blanket and swung her legs off the edge of the bed. Bracing both hands against the mattress, she hoisted herself to her feet. She swayed the tiniest bit, but waved away his help when he tried to take her arm to steady her.

"I'm fine," she managed a weak smile. "Don't worry so much. But…" The smile faded into a dark frown. "What happened? How did I get here? The last thing I remember is…" She stopped herself before she said what she considered to be too much. The most recent picture in her memory was of struggling against an unseen enemy in the darkness of her room and her mind…but though she was in her room, the darkness had been dispelled; there was no trace of it.

She gave Ascot a sidelong glance. "Ascot…did something else happen?"

He stammered a little without actually saying anything, turned red, and took a step backwards.

Umi's mind took that in, and made a quick translation: _Bingo. Ding, ding, ding! Congratulations! Show her what she's won! Red alert, red alert. Danger, Will Robinson!_

"Ascot." The word conveyed volumes, unspoken promises of what might befall him should he not spill the proverbial beans. "Did something else happen?" In truth, her stomach had dropped through her shoes, through the floor, and into the basement; the last time she had woken up without a clear memory of how she had gotten where she was, she'd had to coerce Caldina and Presea into telling her that she had apparently been possessed by some unknown who claimed to be a friend.

Looking faintly defeated, the summoner quickly related the story. Everything about him at that point—his posture, his tone of voice, and what was visible of his facial expression beneath his overly-long bangs—suggested that he would have rather swallowed something live and crawly than tell her the story of what had happened. But experience dictated that Umi would not be shaken off so easily, not until she had been given the full run-down of what she had "missed."

By the time he finished by recounting her second possession and the subsequent flurry of action that had followed her return to normal, he even more desperately wished he was elsewhere. Hell, being trapped in Xander's sanctum, alone and virtually helpless, had been preferable to the look on Umi's face.

"Oh my God…" she whispered as he told her of her near-fatal attack on Kagura, and the maelstrom of water-magic that had nearly ripped them both apart. Both her hands moved to clasp together over her mouth as her eyes grew wider and wider, and her face grew paler and paler. Finally, the last of his words faded into an eerie silence.

It was at that point that Umi's almost-nonexistent self-control broke, and the first few tears escaped. "Oh my God…no…no, tell me I didn't…" She stumbled backwards, away from him, nearly tripping over the corner of the bed in her vain attempt to put distance between herself and the horrifying story. "Oh God…oh God…" She dropped onto the same edge of the bed she had nearly fallen over, still repeating that same mantra to herself, a murmured hymn of prayers and pleas offered up to higher beings that didn't seem to be listening at that precise moment.

"Umi—everyone's been waiting for you to wake up," Ascot said, desperately trying to distract her, but knowing it was a lost cause. "We've been taking shifts keeping an eye on you…you need to come let everyone know you're okay—"

"NO!" she half-shrieked, cutting him off cleanly. Her voice dropped instantly to a whimper. "I can't…I can't look at them. No way, no how. I'm not leaving this room. I can't look them in the eye." _And I can't explain…_ she thought, though she did not voice that particular thought.

"But—"

"Please leave," she stopped his protests before they could begin. "Please. I think I've done enough damage to everyone as it is. Just go, before something else happens." When he hesitated, she gave him a Look. "I won't do anything. I won't even leave this room. Just please. Go. _Go now_!"

Sensing that he had lost the battle, as it were, Ascot sadly obliged. He shot her one last, desperate look, a glance she did not meet; she was sitting on the edge of the bed, her face cradled in both her hands. With a sigh, the summoner pulled the door closed behind him and headed off towards the throne room to inform Clef of what had just transpired.

If Umi wouldn't listen to him, perhaps another could succeed in getting her to open back up.

He could only hope…

_o_

_o_

_Will it never stop?_ Umi thought, a bit begrudgingly, as a knock on the door stirred her from thoughts that were none too pleasant. She knew she shouldn't be wallowing like this, but she was too miserable and ashamed to really think of doing anything else since she had all but kicked Ascot out nearly half an hour ago. Facing the other palace residents and guests was not something she was in any hurry to do, yet the entire place seemed to be beating a path to her door.

"Who is it?" she asked softly, pressing her ear against the door.

"Umi, it's us," Hikaru's voice chirped back. "Open up."

"Go away," she replied bluntly.

Fuu's voice spoke next, in a tone that brooked no arguments and promised retribution upon disobedience. "Umi, if you do not open this door as of two minutes ago, I will personally break it down. You know I can, and you know I will. So open up."

The tone alone sent shivers down Umi's spine, and she winced. _Crap…I'm in so much trouble…I know Fuu will do it, too. Crap, crap, triple CRAP…_ Taking a deep breath, and preparing herself to meet what she was sure would be certain DOOM, Umi threw back the lock and opened the door the tiniest crack.

_THUD._

There was a loud grunt as Hikaru's lithe form slammed into Umi's torso; the Fire Knight's arms closed around Umi's waist in a tight hug as the two tumbled to the floor. Behind Hikaru, Fuu stepped in and hooked one foot around the door to kick it closed.

"Ummm…Hikaru?" Umi said quizzically. "Can I get up now?"

"Sorry!" Hikaru bounded to her feet and offered Umi a hand up. "Just got a little excited…" When everyone was back on their feet, the little redhead turned and flicked her wrist; in a tiny flare of magic, all of the candleholders in the room burst into flame, flooding the room with blessed light.

"Fuu, should you be out of bed?" Umi turned, concern coloring her voice.

"Good grief, not you, too!" Fuu actually looked slightly embarrassed. "God, everybody's asking the same damn thing." Her eyes rolled towards the heavens as one hand threaded through blonde curls. "Honestly, you get one tiny little injury, healed right up, and everybody suddenly thinks you're an invalid!"

"Little injury?" Hikaru quirked a brow. "Fuu…you got stabbed in the back."

"…I got better…" the Wind Knight grumbled, appropriately chagrined.

Umi nodded, then took her same seat back on the corner of the bed. "How's Kagura?"

"She's taking a nap," Fuu replied, her tone slightly cool; the slight embarrassment over the discussion of her health had vanished, replaced by what amounted to a mask. "Whole ordeal wore her out. She didn't want to, but we insisted. So she crashed for a while." A pause. "We talked to Ascot."

_CRASH._

Umi felt another piece of her decidedly shaky world crash down around her. "…and?"

The Wind Knight's expression softened as she crossed the room and dropped onto the bed beside Umi; both hands reached out and closed around one of Umi's arms. "Stop lying to us, stop hiding from us, just tell us the goddamn truth!"

Oh dear. Fuu was swearing _and_ angry. Both veeeeeeeeeery bad signs.

There was a pregnant pause before Umi closed her eyes. "What do you want to know?"

"Tell us what that bastard said," Fuu ordered. "We want to hear it in your words."

Finally surrendering before her friend's order, Umi poured her heart out—the parts she had left out when she had told of her imprisonment, the segments she had hidden from her friends. She kept her facial expression as neutral as possible, trying to school it carefully; the more detached she could keep herself from the telling of this story, the safer she felt from it. It was already far internalized.

When her words ran dry and the explanation tapered off, the room grew tense. Umi glanced over at her friends; Hikaru was sitting beside her, one hand gripping Umi's sleeve, the fingers of the other raised to touch her face in shock. But Fuu was as neutral and unreadable as Umi was trying to be, save for the flash that ran across her eyes.

"Why didn't you tell us about what Aeric said to you?" Fuu's temper, already fairly fragile by events of physical and emotion turmoil, proved to be wearing thinner and thinner.

"They're after me!" Umi snapped, surging out of Fuu's grasp and past Hikaru before whirling to face them both. "Me. Not you. _Me!_ Why should I drag you down with me? Why would I want to pull you guys into my problems? You're not the ones they're after." Two tears, borne of frustration and hurt, slipped loose from her control, but she didn't seem to notice them. "I'm not going to take you guys down too. They're _my_ problems. You're not the ones they want. You're not weak…you're not helpless…you're not the ones who can't do anything…"

Giving up, Umi let her knees give out, and slumped to the floor, shaking her head; her hands were wringing together in front of her. She assumed she looked as pathetic as she felt at that moment, run ragged and exhausted. "Why am I so stupid? Why can't I be more like you two?"

Silence reigned for an eternity.

Then there was a slight rustling, followed by the soft padding of footsteps. A shadow moved across the floor towards her, and Fuu knelt down beside her. There was another long minute of quiet, before the soft-spoken voice said, "Do you really believe that, Umi?"

"The more I think about it, the more true it seems…" she replied steadily, though she didn't feel particularly steady at that point. All she could do was stare at her hands and wait for the axe to fall.

It didn't.

"Umi...remember when we were in that village?" Fuu asked; Umi looked up and frowned at her, confused, so Fuu continued, "We were going to find the Escudo, and we wound up in that village that was under attack, and Alcyone nearly killed Hikaru. Who was it that saved her? Here's a hint: it wasn't me."

"Yeah—_after_ I managed to get myself nearly cut to ribbons, and _before_ I ended up flat on the ground, bleeding my life away, at which point _you_ had to haul _my_ ass out of the fire."

"That doesn't change the fact that you accepted your magic and a destiny you didn't really want in order to save your friend's life," Fuu said firmly. "You became a Magic Knight for us."

"But—"

"Alcyone also trapped us inside that frozen place," Hikaru chimed in. "You saved us then, too!"

"I—"

"And who was it that got Ascot straightened out? I recall a certain Knight of Selece being the one to, ah, knock a little sense into him, right?" Fuu went on, bowling right over Umi's faint attempts at protest.

"And then there was the fight for the Pillar—you took on the Princess of Chizeta, didn't you? You kicked some serious royal ass!" Hikaru bubbled.

"Hikaru!" Fuu admonished.

"Sorry…"

"And that's just Magic Knight stuff," Fuu turned her attention back to Umi. "Think about all the time we all spent hanging out together at home, all the little favors and things we all always do for each others. Umi, nothing would be the same if you weren't around. We're a team, we're friends, and nothing's gonna change that."

"But…but…"

"We're a puzzle," Hikaru chirped, crawling over to join the two of them on the floor. "Take away one piece, and you lose a big part of the picture. See?" She looked far too happy, but it was infectious, and Fuu's anger seemed to melt away in the face of it.

"I vote we make a pledge—next time we run into Aeric, let the three of us kick his sorry ass from here to Autozam!" Fuu crowed, raising one fist into the air. "And Umi gets first shot!"

Umi couldn't help herself; she started to laugh, and slapped Fuu a high-five. "Take him down!"

It was like the tension flooded from the room, leaving the three girls in breathless giggles. As those subsided, Hikaru leaned over and wrapped her arms around Umi's waist, leaning her head against Umi's shoulder; Fuu took the other side, and Umi slid an arm around both of them. The comfortable group hug was tempered only by an equally-comfortable silence.

"Umi…" Hikaru said a few minutes later, "tell us when something's wrong. We don't think you're weak or stupid or anything, and we're the ones who should know. You're Ryuuzaki Umi, champion fencer, a gorgeous person, a great friend, and one helluva Magic Knight. And if we ever come up against that jerk again, you'd better show him what's what!"

"…but I still don't know what my part in the team is," Umi said, expression darkening.

Fuu got an eeeeeevil little smile on her face, and tilted her head so she could whisper something into Umi's ear. A moment later, the trio again dissolved into laughter as spirits were lightened, and burdens were finally shared.

_o_

_o_

"Yes, Father. Yes, I understand," Caliana said dutifully, managing not to roll her eyes.

Her father's bearded face loomed on the screen in front of her; he looked ready to start spitting molten metal in anger over his daughter's sudden rebellion concerning the arrangement with Cephiro. He was currently demanding an explanation as to what the hell was she thinking, and would she please explain this, giving good enough reason that he would not have cause to have her ambushed upon her entrance into the capitol?

For the fourth (or was it fifth?) time, Caliana, Princess of Aldarba, launched into the story, from beginning to end, starting with her arrival in Cephiro and her introduction to the three girls from another world known as the Magic Knights. She finished the tale by recounting the exact reasons she had broken off her intentions to the Cephirean Prince and quickly organized her return to her homeland—hence, the reason she was communicated with her father via the transport ship's communicators.

"Caliana, you know the reasons for this alliance!" her father protested as her story once again drew to a close. "This is crucial to maintaining our peace!"

"Father, our peace is secure," she replied serenely, sitting back in her chair. "I have it on the word of Guru Clef, Prince Ferio, and even the Magic Knights. Our alliance will stand with or without the union, and I think it will be better for everyone involved."

"Caliana—"

She rose suddenly to her feet, looking every inch royalty. "Father, you have always told me that someday I will be Queen. Should I not first begin by ruling my own life? If I am to be Queen, I must know how to make decisions. If I had a single doubt as to the validity of their promises of peace, I would never have left or broken the agreement. Trust my judgment, Father, and trust me as I trust them." Her head was held high throughout, her voice never raising or wavering, her very posture a challenge to her father to disagree with her or discipline her.

There was silence, and she could see her honored father waging an internal war.

_Please, Father. Please understand…I've done everything you've ever asked of me…_

To her amazement, he sighed…and smiled. "It is times like these when I realize that you truly are my daughter, Caliana." He almost looked misty-eyed at the thought. "My daughter. You have grown up. You will be a fine Queen." There was a note in his voice that took her a moment to place.

_Pride._

He was proud that she had taken the initiative, proud that she was willing to put others first, and work around obstacles to achieve the same end without sacrificing others.

Allowing herself a truly happy smile, Caliana laughed lightly. "Thank you, Father. I was almost afraid I was going to have to go tell Mother on you." She wagged a finger at him in a game they had not played since her childhood.

He held up his hands in defeat. "Truly, a death worse than fate, my child. You are approaching. I will greet you upon your arrival." The screen went blank. Caliana sat down again and leaned back in her chair, letting her eyes tumbled shut. She was suddenly very exhausted, but happy. Vindicated. _Free_.

A hand touched her shoulder a moment later, rousing her from her near-doze. "Lady Caliana?" the rough male voice was soft as it questioned her. "We've almost arrived."

She turned and looked up at the soldier behind her. "Oh—Kannon. Thank you."

He smiled and bowed. Once he had straightened, he looked mildly uncomfortable before speaking again. "Begging your pardon, Highness, but…I was under the impression we would not return to Aldarba for quite some time. Why so soon?"

With a smile, the Princess replied, "Plans change, Kannon."

"Does this have regard to the engagement?"

"Indeed it does," she replied, speaking to him with the familiarity of two who had known each other for longer than they often on. "Indeed it does…"

She could have sworn she heard him smile behind her.

_o_

_o_

The stone basin of the fountain was cool under Hikaru's hands as she leaned her full weight back and let her head fall back to look up at the ceiling. The sweet fragrance of flowers slid over her and around her, wrapping her like the softest blanket; she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. This was her favorite room in the palace, after all.

Even now that she was twenty-one and undeniably an adult, it could never be said that Shidou Hikaru was ever quite _as_ adult as her fellow Magic Knights. She had always been the 'little sister' of the trio, and as such, she had been able to maintain a certain innocence uncommon in someone her age. But the events of the past few days had left her reeling.

And so she now sat alone, trying desperately to organize thoughts and emotions that were all but alien to her. Even during their tenure as Magic Knights, she had never been this worried, especially not about Umi, of all people.

Umi could take care of herself. She'd always been able to. And now…

And now…

"Hikaru?"

She jolted at the sound of her own name, actually jumping to her feet and whirling as her hand flew to her ovum-gem in readiness to draw her sword. It was just one more sign of how on edge she was. Fortunately, she did not attack.

After all, Lantis probably wasn't in the mood to have his head or any other appendage severed from its proper place on his body. He wasn't wearing his armor or his sword, so if she had swung, he would have had no way to protect himself.

With a sigh, she lowered her sword and dropped back to her seat on the stone basin; she raised her eyes to give him a mournful look. "Don't scare me like that. I'm jumpy enough as it is."

The _cail_ nodded an apology and sat beside her, knowing no permission was required. "I'm a little concerned about you and the others." It was never easy for him to say what he felt like that; she knew it, and appreciated that he would voice his concern.

"Don't worry, we'll be fine," she smiled gently, then leaned her head back again. "I'm most worried about Umi. She was right—she's the one they're after. Why do they want her, though? And what does this all have to do with Cephiro? And who keeps taking over her? I want to know who Glowy Eye Person is!" She closed her eyes. "I don't get it. I don't get any of this."

"You're the Magic Knights. I know you'll be fine," Lantis said quietly.

"I hope so. But I really wish there would be a clue, or something!" she huffed, sitting up and folding her arms across her chest. "We'll figure it all out soon, though. But until that finally happens, I'm not going to let anything happen to Umi."

"Hmmm…" Lantis acknowledged; suddenly, he looked vaguely uncomfortable, obviously thinking something over very carefully.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "What?"

The light in the room went out, and there was a slight jar as the palace shook.

Instinctively, Hikaru jumped in surprise. Lantis tensed beside her, and one of his hands closed around her forearm in a protective gesture, pulling her closer. They waited silently, looking around in apprehension. After a long, tense moment, the light returned.

Hikaru let out a breath she didn't even realize she had been holding, and started to get up, but was stopped by Lantis' hand, still holding her arm. And though traces of his trepidation at the occurrence of a moment ago remained, he was now regarding her with a very strange look…

"Lantis?" she said his name softly. When he didn't answer, she stood up; he rose beside her, still watching her silently. "I'm going to go find Fuu. Maybe she knows what that was. I'll see you—"

A small tug on her arm was all it took to pull her to him. And for the next few moments, Hikaru thought nothing of strange happenings, evil sorcerers, threatened worlds, or troubled friends. The world just went away, except for one beautiful thing…

_Lantis…_

_o_

_o_

"Hey, you."

Ferio stopped in mid-swing at the voice and turned; having ascertained the source, he stared with mild suspicion at the figure leaning against the doorframe, arms folded, watching him practice.

Umi pushed away from the wall with her elbow and straightened, walking towards him with a slow, casual swagger; her arms stayed folded, and her eyes, blessedly normal blue eyes, never strayed from his face. "You and I need to talk." Her face was calm, nigh unreadable, but there seemed to be no signs of the semi-demonic possession that had resulted in the earlier attack.

Ferio drew one gloved hand across his forehead, brushing away the perspiration already there from his earlier practice. "All right. Come in." His eyes didn't leave her as she strolled across the roomy salle, stopping directly opposite him, about nine feet of space between them.

"Want a sparring partner?" she asked amiably, drawing her sword in a flare of azure light. It was then that he noticed her long hair had been loosely tied back with a red ribbon; and he assumed she had borrowed it from Caldina.

He studied her, then nodded and raised his own blade, lowering into a fighting stance. Umi, however, raised the hilt of her blade to her heart and nodded in an odd sort of salute before echoing his movements and preparing herself for the mock-duel.

For a few moments, the only sounds were of swords clashing and sword-wielders panting. But they were evenly matched, with neither wearing the other down as they persisted in their spar. As they stepped apart for a moment to catch their breath and give their arms a rest, Umi gave him a Look and frowned. "Why don't you talk to Fuu?"

He actually flinched, like he had known this was coming. "The way she's been avoiding me, you would think I had acquired some incurable disease that she was going to catch. First with the engagement, and then the hit in the back…" He sighed, looking utterly discouraged. "If she doesn't want to see me, then I will respect that."

"Coward." His head snapped back to look at her in surprise as she spat the word at him. "Ferio, she took a goddamn knife in the back for you. That's saying something, and that something is somewhere along the lines of 'I want you, I need you, oh baby, oh baby.' So what are you going to do about it?"

"What the hell do you want me to do about it?" he growled.

Without any pretense or warning, she lunged, diving in low and swinging her foot around to catch Ferio in the back of the knees, following it by moving upwards to drive her shoulder into his stomach. The result was expected: the hit to the legs tripped him backwards, and the drive to the torso slammed him backwards into the ground. His sword clattered to the hard floor a couple of feet away.

He sat up quickly, and found the point of an Escudo-made sword pointing lazily at his forehead. Its wielder, the Knight of Selece, smirked at him. "I don't care, Ferio. Just do something about it. Talk to her, for God's sake. You should have just cornered her while she was bedridden, but you didn't. Lost opportunity there. You didn't even go see her because you're afraid, aren't you?"

Umi would have said more, but the lights overhead suddenly flickered, and went out entirely. Neither moved an inch; Umi's hand unconsciously tightened on the hilt of her sword, while Ferio groped around in the darkness, searching for his fallen blade.

After what felt like eons, the lights came back on, and it was as though nothing had happened. Another motionless moment passed before Umi sighed and relaxed a little. "Fuu misses you. A lot. So as your friend and hers, I'm giving you an ultimatum, Highness. Do something—or die."

Hoisting her sword away from him, Umi turned on her heel and strolled away, leaving one very confused, slightly shaken Cephirean Prince flat on his ass, pondering as to what the hell had just happened.

_o_

_o_

Unaware of her friend's situations (and in particular that one friend was threatening the Cephirean royalty), Fuu was lounging in Clef's library, reading an extremely interesting book. The diminutive mage had granted her unlimited access to this room, and she had taken full advantage of the fact. The place was filled with books outlining a good amount of Cephiro's history and legends.

She was currently engrossed in one such book—it was actually a shorter one that was focused almost entirely on the legend of the Magic Knights, outlining the prophecy that they were to fulfill, and attempting to describe the mashin. Granted, the descriptions were a little off, and did not do justice to the mighty beings, but she gave the unknown author credit for trying.

But it was most interesting to read an outsider's thoughts on the Magic Knights. This was a story comparable to the Great Flood or one of the many mysterious beasts who were said to walk hidden in the wilderness, the story was that old and that far-reaching.

She was a little on edge at the moment, truth be told. For some reason, a moment ago the lights in the palace had gone out and returned mere moments later. It left her antsy, and definitely not at ease. Not really wanting to give any further thought to strange goings-on, she refocused on her book, figuring that if something pressing happened, she would be summoned.

She finished a chapter describing Selece, the fierce Dragon of the Sea (the previous chapters had been over Rayearth and Windam, respectively), and flipped a page, wonder what would be next. She was startled, then, to see a portrait.

It was a woman, sporting elaborate green armor and a crowning headpiece reminiscent of feathers. She wore a pale green cloak, the end of which she was holding in one gloved hand, letting it drape around her. She was swathed in streams of wind, and held a long sword. Behind her was the image of a large bird—Windam.

But the young woman—for young she appeared, though her true age would have been impossible to determine, given the power of one's will—was not Fuu. Her hair was red, not the same shade of crimson as Hikaru's, but more a vibrant auburn, spilling down past her shoulders and floating around her in wind that moved to her beck and call. And her eyes: green. Emerald green, the color of leaves, or of a four-winged spirit-god…

"What in the world…" Fuu murmured, her fingers moving to brush the picture and the face of the woman. The woman's eyes seemed to burn right into Fuu, as though reading her. Was this an artist's conception of a Magic Knight? It looked nothing like her.

But as she stared, Fuu suddenly felt very tired…and then she saw…

_An arrow flew at her, embedding itself in her chest. She screamed in pain and fell backwards; the ground was rough and uneven beneath her back, and she felt something else jousting into her side—a broken sword, perhaps? Or maybe another arrow?_

_There was someone with her. A man—he was someone important, and someone important to her. And he was frantic, crying for concern, crying for her. As her strength ebbed and her head lulled against her shoulder, red hair and red blood fell into her eyes, blinding her, and she heard explosions as she spiraled into a place away from herself…_

Fuu heard the library door open. But before she could really register this fact or even shake herself back to reality, she slumped forward. Her forehead pressed against the page, her arms coming to dangle limply at her sides.

The newcomer closed the door with a click, and waited.

For a short moment, the library was silent, and completely still.

Then Fuu stirred, and sat up, shaking her head slightly as though to clear it. She looked down at the picture in the book, and smiled. "My, my…" With a soft giggle, she closed the book and rose to her feet, finally turning to greet the newcomer. "Well, here we are."

Shidou Hikaru leaned against the door, her hands casually behind her back. She seemed perfectly at ease, save for the disturbing fact that her eyes were glowing beneath her shaggy bangs. Red. Bright, pulsating scarlet. And the smile on her face did not belong to Hikaru. "It has been a while."

"Indeed," 'Fuu' nodded, looking at the book. "I grow concerned with this one. She tends to happen upon things she should not meddle in." Lifting the volume, 'Fuu' replaced the book on the shelf, turning it so that the title could not be seen. "Hopefully, she will not find that again. She is a curious one." Her tone was fairly serious, but her luminous green eyes reflected her amusement.

"They draw close," 'Hikaru' murmured, with no mirth at all. "But she is still fearful. I worry."

"I do not," 'Fuu' answered, sitting back down and folding one leg demurely over the other. "I do not fear for any of them. She is frightened, yes, but when the time finally comes, I have the utmost faith that all will be done. We will watch, and wait until then." She looked down and examined the glove on her hand, the glove that held the symbol of her power and legacy, and her expression grew somber. "And may history never repeat itself." She continued to stare at the green stone, her eyes casting an eerie jade glow on the skin around her eyes. "All will be done…"

And as the glowing eyes, the mark of their possession, faded away, the Knights of Rayearth and Windam slumped over, unconscious. The former slid down the door to rest, propped up in a hunched heap on the carpet, while the latter again came to rest with her head pillowed on the table's surface.

Sleeping peacefully, her dreams were of green and bright, bright red.

_o_

_o_

"You wanted to see us?" Hikaru flew into the throne room, rubbing at her eyes. She had just woken up from her impromptu nap, and still had no idea how she had managed to end up curled in a little ball on the library floor, sleeping with her head against the door. She had only awakened when Lafarga had come flying in, searching madly for her and Fuu; he had managed to knock her over from the force of the door opening, and had then dragged both towards the throne room for an emergency meeting with Clef.

The Wind Knight didn't look much more awake, and was far less focused. Her mind was far, far away, trying to remember what she had been doing before she had so suddenly dozed off. Her only vague recollection was of a book, but what was it about? What had she been looking at? There had been no book on the table by her head…

The others were already assembled, including Umi, who looked slightly worn but calm; she was flanked by Kagura and Takeshi, who seemed relatively relaxed. Tama stood passively behind Umi, watching the unfolding scene with frightened curiosity. They were gathered around a small white form, hovering a few feet in the air, suspended by white wings.

"Creator…" Fuu breathed.

"Xander has left Cephiro," Clef intoned, his expression dark. "We must track him down."

"Do we know where he went?" Lantis demanded.

"There was a tear between worlds," Clef replied. "He has gone to another world." The Master Mage then turned to the hovering white being.

Mokona, the Creator, spoke. "I have found him. He has gone to this place."

Beneath him, a small circle of magic appeared; it swirled like fog for a moment before an image became clear in it. The Cephirean residents oohed and aahed over the strange-looking place. "What unusual structures…" Caldina murmured softly.

"What's that tall thing?" Ferio wondered aloud. "It's not a tree…"

The sighs of awe were punctuated by five outright gasps. Everyone turned to stare at the group of Earth-borne teenagers, staring in shock at the image Mokona had conjured for them. Four young women and one young man were gazing with wide eyes at the world projected there.

"What? What is it?" Clef asked. "What's wrong?"

Kagura was the one who regained her powers of speech first, and even then, she only managed a tiny squeak of a whisper as she pointed one shaky hand at the image and peeped, "That's…Tokyo."

Everyone looked at her blankly.

Fuu came to herself next. "Tokyo. That's where we're from. The tall thing—that's Tokyo Tower. Tokyo is in Japan. That's Earth. It's our world!" Excited jabber broke out.

"We have to go!" Umi announced. "There's no way in hell I'm letting him hurt our world. I won't allow it anymore than I would allow him to destroy Cephiro." She turned to Hikaru and Fuu. "We've got to go back. We need to stop him."

"I agree wholeheartedly," Fuu actually smirked.

"Let's go," Hikaru nodded. She whirled on the others. "We'll go immediately."

"Wait a minute!" Caldina crowed. "Can't let you do that. It's waaaaaaay too dangerous." At the collective stare she was getting, her expression grew unusually somber. "I'm goin' with you. I'll help." Around the room, various people nodded their assent and their intent of also accompanying the Magic Knights to the world of their birth.

Before long, it was decided that Lafarga would stay behind to handle the palace; there had been some unusual occurrences on one of the borders, and as a magical swordsman and head of the Guard, it was his duty to keep an eye on those things and summon the army if need be.

It was also collectively decided that Tama should stay behind. The demure maid had no way to protect herself, should something happen. And she looked perfectly terrified at the idea of going to a strange place when she had only just started to make herself a home in Cephiro.

Caldina had already expressed her intentions to not let the girls go alone. Lantis refused to leave Hikaru's side (and she looked strangely relieved), Ferio would not let Fuu leave without him beside her (though she looked faintly embarrassed at his attentions), and Ascot stuck to Umi like Velcro (which secretly pleased her). Clef announced that he would set shields and protections for the palace and accompany them, citing that the evacuation procedures were still in place to protect the citizens. Presea immediately demanded to go as well.

"I just thought of something," Umi said suddenly as they all joined together in a circle in preparation to make their very short journey to the world called Earth. "What happened to Caliana?"

"Lady Caliana left early this morning, before all hell broke loose," Lafarga replied with surprising bluntness. "She's returning to Aldarba. I would assume she's already there by now."

"But—the alliance?" Hikaru asked in confusion.

Fuu said nothing as Clef explained; she already knew. Caliana had given her Ferio's ring to symbolize the end of their engagement, asking her to return the trinket to the Prince. That small gold ring, inscribed with words 'Bound forever' in Cephirean runes, was sitting heavily in her pocket, and burning a hole in her heart.

Hands were joined, and Mokona floated over them, looking as somber as a creature with that face could look. "Is everyone prepared?" A silent chorus of nods. "This might be a bit of a shock."

Magic flared—

—and light flashed—

—and the throne room disappeared.

The only ones who didn't scream or cry out in panic were the three Magic Knights. Standing hand in hand, the three of them merely held onto each other and squeezed each other's hands as they made the split-second trip that was familiar to them by now.

It happened in the space of a heartbeat, in the time it took for the breath to be whisked from their lungs. And then there was hard floor under their shoes, tempered by the sound of something crunching loudly. Eyes that had been squeezed shut in terror opened, and voices that moments ago had been screaming were struck dumb with surprise. Only Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu remained calm and seemingly unmoved by the transition.

The observation deck of Tokyo Tower was exactly as they had left it, sans the monsters trying to kill them. The windows were in pieces, with glass spilled all over the floor. The deck was still void of people, and the cool night breeze blew in through the broken windows beyond which were the bright night lights of Tokyo.

Of the others, Lantis clamped himself back under control first. He broke from the circle and walked to the shattered remnants of the window. He said nothing—his face said it all, and echoed the expressions of everyone else in the Cephirean team.

Umi finally broke away from the line of Earthlings, and strolled over to stand beside Lantis. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" The question was addressed to the collective, and they all nodded. She turned to them with a smile and said cheerily, "This is where we live. Welcome, everyone. Welcome to Earth."

_o_

_o_

_o_

**AN: **:pant pant: Behold, a chapter of almost ten thousand words! Consider this the apology for two really hectic months that kept me from finishing this and posting it any sooner. Apologies to all!

And so we enter the last legs of the journey. For some reason, I have just been completely enamored with the idea of bringing our Cephirean cast to the world of the Magic Knights. I think it shall be funny. But believe it or not, we're actually approaching the end. This fic should wrap up at around seventeen or eighteen chapters—I'm still playing with the conclusion a little bit. And of course, there are still a few huge twists left to get through. So yeah…sort-of close to being done.

**BIG IMPORTANT QUESTION THING: **Okay, perhaps I am counting my chickens before they hatch, and it might be a little early to be asking, but I'm going to put this whole thing down to a vote of the people. Besides, I spent a good month formulating all my notes and ideas into a comprehensive outline for _this_ story to make sure I didn't miss any details. So better early than later/never. The question is this (and feel free to change your vote at a later date): **If I wrote a sequel to this story, would anyone be interested in reading it?** I ask now because I would want to start getting my ideas organized early on, so I could go right into it. I've already got a couple of ideas as to where I can go with it, but I want to know your opinions. I appreciate any and all feedback, and if you change your mind later, I'll still appreciate it!

But let's see…one hundred reviews…time for a special, I think. Yup, time for some completely random insanity, yay! No, I do not know where these came from (though the basis for these are all taken from earlier chapters of this story), but I like them. I like crazy…crazy are good…and yes, I am a sick little puppy. What's it to you?

_o_

_o_

**Tears of the Sea Outtakes: Be Glad I Didn't Really Do This**

_This wasn't in the script…_

Kagura didn't seem to notice anyone else in the room; her eyes, warm and dark with concern, were fixated solely on her sword-wielding friend. Her expression was grim, but not unkind. "Are you really going to kill me? Then do it. For some reason, you really seem to want to kill me. So do it. If it'll make you happy, do it." There was a long pause in the room then, tempered only by the heavy breathing of the Cephirean residents.

_SLICE!_

_Thump, thump, rooooooll…_

Fuu let out a tiny shriek and turned as green as her mashin as Kagura's head rolled across the floor. "I don't think she expected that…"

_o_

_Goodnight, sweet Prince…_

A few minutes had passed before the door opened again, and Umi stepped back inside with Presea in tow. But to the open amazement of the two men, not only was Umi still holding her sword, but Presea was also armed with a blade. Both stalked wordlessly across the room towards the door. Beyond that door was the target of their anger—Ferio.

"Umi, obviously you're still planning on killing Ferio," Clef said, looking completely confused—probably for the first time in his life. "But Presea, what are you doing?"

"Helping!" the artisan replied with a little bit of a bloodthirsty smile on her face. "So is Caldina. She went to find Hikaru. Now if you'll excuse us—"

"Presea…"

The pharle stopped and turned a glare on them. "You haven't seen Fuu, have you? Apparently, she got the news from Caliana, and none too gently. So if there are no more questions, gentlemen, we have important things to do." And with that, they were gone.

The two men waited.

After a moment, there was some yelling, a few loud obscenities, and some crashes.

And suddenly, both had to wonder if the two women were actually serious about spilling blood.

The door opened again, and Presea and Umi traipsed back through, both looking quite pleased with themselves. And the blood splattered all over their swords and clothes and faces complimented their outfits and complexions ever so nicely, and looked very nice with the manic grins on their faces…

As they left, the two men slowly got to their feet and tiptoed over to the door, where they peered out to see exactly what had happened. Both turned away very quickly, faces taking on a shiny green tinge.

Clef swallowed hard. "I can't believe they made him eat _that_ before they finished the job…"

_o_

_Ending Before It Even Began…_

With a jolt, Umi's eyes snapped open. And she wasn't too terribly surprised to find herself floating in a crystal blue sky over an immense landscape that stretched on forever. Blue rivers, golden fields, and emerald forests, as far as the eye could see. Of course, the view only lasted for a moment, before they lost the ability to defy gravity, and the familiar fall from the sky began.

Umi waited, hoping desperately that something would be there to catch them. Granted Fyula—Clef's giant flying fish—had been there for the other times, but there was no guarantee…

Nearby, she could hear screams, but it wasn't Hikaru or Fuu. And one of the screeching voices was most definitely _not_ female…

Realization came in a flash. _Kagura! Takeshi!_

Wrenching herself around in the air, Umi found herself face to face with her two friends. Both of whom were accompanying her in this downward tumble. They, however, seemed far less calm about it than she was.

The ground was getting closer…closer…and closer still…

_SPLAT._

_o_

_How she should have reacted…_

"Why exactly are you here?" the Green Knight seemed to recover herself and went on. "I mean, I know it's some diplomatic thing, but nobody will tell us exactly what's going on." She paused. "I guess it might not be any of our business…but we're just curious, that's all."

"Do you not want me here?" Caliana asked, trying to get a measure of this strange young woman from another world. For some reason, she couldn't quite get a reading on Fuu and whatever her motives might be. She possessed an innate ability to read people, but this girl eluded her. Could it be that she really did just want to talk to her? No…people weren't like that. That was why she further tested the waters with a question of deliberate misinterpretation.

And Fuu seemed genuinely taken aback. "No, that's not it at all. We just wanted to know a little more about you." She was telling the truth.

Caliana sighed. "You really don't know. I can't imagine why Guru Clef wouldn't tell you."

"Tell us what?" Fuu asked.

A moment later, there was a sickening crunching sound as Fuu's heart shattered.

And then there was another sound as Fuu's fist rather rudely introduced itself to Caliana's nose.

_o_

_o_

**AN2: **There was no real purpose for this. Just fun. Maybe I'll do more of these someday. I dunno…but anyway, I love knowing what people think, so feel free to drop me a line, be it about this story, the sequel idea, or just life in general. I listen to that too. I hope to be able to update again soon.

**Next chapter:** The Cephirean team finds themselves in a strange new world—talk about role reversal, huh? Hilarity will undoubtedly ensue. Meanwhile, Fuu's been doing some thinking, and a chance conversation might give her the clue to where Xander's hiding…see ya then!


	13. Third Rock from the Sun

**AN: **Hello again, everyone. I return. Summer is upon us, and I now have three glorious months of freeeeeedom! So ideally, you can expect more updates from me. _Ideally_. No guarantees. I know some of you have been veeeeeery patient with me. I assure you, I post as often as I can get things written. I am a student first, however, and I do get swamped sometimes. I appreciate everyone's understanding.

So on we go. This is a much shorter chapter—okay, okay, it's almost entirely filler, some comic relief from Caldina, I admit it…but there are a couple of important things to step up the big stuff. **Please see the author's notes at the end of the chapter for an important message from our sponsors.** Now… :takes deep breath: IdontownMagicKnightRayearth…. :pant:

_o_

_o_

_o_

**Third Rock from the Sun**

_Okay. Deep breath in, aaaaaand…_

"Hello?" Umi cracked the door open and peered in. "Mom? Dad? Anyone home?" Silence met her calls, and she heaved a massive sigh of relief, pushing the front door of her house open the rest of the way and stepping aside. "Okay, coast is clear. Come on in, everybody."

The assembly that followed her in was odd-looking, to say the least. Well, odd by Earth standards, anyway. By Cephirean standards, they were perfectly normal, if slightly richer than the average person's clothing. Furthermore, most people on Earth didn't carry around abnormally-large swords, or magical swords, or staffs that were taller than the staff-wielder. And Mokona alone was definitely enough to raise unknowing eyebrows.

But that was the crew that poured through the front door of the expansive Ryuuzaki mansion. The ones who brought up the rear were on the only seemingly-normal ones in the group, the other four teenagers of Earth: Hikaru, Fuu, Kagura, and Takeshi (though even Hikaru and Fuu looked slightly odd in their armor and gem-gloves). Takeshi turned and closed the door behind him.

Leaving Tokyo Tower had been an interesting experience in and of itself. They'd escaped quickly, leaving the mess behind unexplained. What were they supposed to say—monsters had destroyed it in a massive attempt to kill them because they were the magical guardians of another world?

No thank you.

A few brave and/or rude passers-by actually asked why in the world they were dressed so outlandishly. Fuu had quickly supplied that they were on their way to a costume party, and had to hurry lest they be late. When asked what they were, Fuu responded shortly that they were dressed as their respective characters out of their favorite RPG, then dragged the Cephireans off before any further questions could be asked. The non-Earth residents were extremely confused, if not a bit frightened, by the time they arrived at their destination, Umi's house.

It was fortunate, to say the least, that things had gone down when they had. Umi's father had been called away on business in Hokkaido for a week, and her mother had accompanied him. They had left the previous day, which meant that the mansion—the very _large_ mansion—was empty for another six days.

In other words, it was the perfect place to stash a small group of people from another world for a few days while they tried to track down a madman who was rumored to be extraordinarily powerful, a lunatic with a hunger for bloodshed and a lust for power. Umi volunteered her home immediately, and declared that if it came to it, she would tell her parents the whole story of Cephiro and the Magic Knights, should they come home to find their house overrun with strangers. She only prayed it wouldn't come to that, that this whole awful mess would be taken care of before they returned.

Everyone stared around in awe at their surroundings. Finally, Caldina broke the silence: she clapped her hands together in front of her chest and bounced up and down. "So pretty!" she whirled around. "This is where ya live, Umi?"

"Yup! Welcome to my home!" the Water Knight held her arms out, gesturing towards the large living room around them. "Make yourselves at home while you're here. If you have any questions about anything, ask away." That last was directed mostly at Presea, who was in a staring match with the clock on the wall. Her head moved back and forth, following the pendulum as it swung.

Fuu stepped in then. "I think it would be best if we got everyone set up. Let's get all of us sorted into rooms so we can get some rest." Moments later, everyone was shuffled upstairs to the various bedrooms and guest rooms there. It took a fairly short time to get everyone herded into the rooms, and the mansion went relatively silent as one by one, people started dropping off into a well-earned sleep.

Most of them, anyway…

_o_

_o_

One by one, pairs of lights zipped by on the strange road beyond the window. The yellow orbs stood out almost painfully against the darkness of the night, illuminating the road around them.

Clef studied them intently. What had Hikaru called those transportation devices with the lights on the front—cars, was it? So strange, and they moved at such high speeds. He doubted if even Lantis' spirit-beast would have been able to keep pace with them.

He was unusually restless at the moment, and had decided to take up Umi's invitation to make themselves at home, and had seated himself in front of one of the large windows overlooking the grassy area in front of the house. He was just washing everything beyond that window, most obviously those…car contraptions that seemed so commonplace.

A tap at the door nearly made him jump, but nearly iron-willed self control kept him immobile, and he turned and watched passively as Fuu entered, with Presea trailing a step behind her. The Wind Knight looked far calmer than Clef had seen her in quite a while; it was in her very posture.

"So this is your world…" he murmured, turning his attention back to the window as the two newcomers came to join him in gazing outside. "Is this how you felt when you came to Cephiro that first time?" He seemed to be thinking out loud. "Were you this confused? Was it this strange to you?"

"It was," Fuu confirmed softly. "But we got used to it."

"The buildings are enormous…" Presea breathed, leaning both elbows on the windowsill and resting her chin in her hands. "It's so strange…"

"You'll be fine," Fuu said easily, not seeming to mind their childlike wonder in the least. "If you want, we can take you out tomorrow and show you a little more of the city. We might have to find you some different clothes, though, unless you want everyone staring at you everywhere you go…"

"Would you?" Presea asked in a manner reminiscent of Hikaru.

"Of course! It's a date!" Fuu laughed, a chuckle tempered by a yawn. "But I just saw you come in here a bit ago, thought I'd stop in and make sure everything was all right. I'm going to bed. Make sure you get some sleep. G'night!" And Fuu was gone, leaving mage and pharle to continue window-gazing.

Well, the master mage was still watching the area beyond the window. Presea's eyes shifted back and forth, between the window and the person beside her. This was all well and good until Clef suddenly noticed her divided attentions.

Suddenly, the silence became less relaxed, and far more tense.

Clef's expression melded into confusion. "…Presea?"

She froze, seeming to wrestle with herself over something. Then she straightened suddenly. "Well, off to bed. Goodnight!" And she managed to walk out of the room, only breaking into a run when the door closed behind her. Clef stared at that closed door for a good amount of time after she was gone.

Wondering…

_o_

_o_

With a yawn, Caldina half-stumbled down the stairs and into the living room; one hand rubbed sleepily at tired eyes. A glance and a listen around proved that no one else was awake yet. Umi had said to make themselves at home, but in spite of her natural curiosity, Caldina wasn't quite sure what any of the strange things did, she realized more as she wandered through the ground floor.

She was especially baffled by one room. It had a floor of strange smooth rocks, rather than the softer flooring of the other rooms. And it was filled with such odd items, she couldn't even imagine what purposes each thing served. She decided it might be best not to touch anything when she turned a little knob, and the surface of one item got very hot, right under her hand. She grappled at the dial again, and the temperature went back down.

Now a bit shaken (and nursing a slightly burned hand), she ushered herself back to the room with all the comfy chairs. Shaking her head, the Chizetan dancer made an abnormal application of common sense and decided to sit down in one of those chairs and wait for the others to wake up. Then maybe she could get some explanation as to what in the world (or rather, what in _this_ world) these items were. The time-keeper with the swingy thing (Hikaru had called it a clock…) started making a weird bell-ish noise. It made that noise seven times.

Unfortunately, as she sat down, she managed to sit down right on top of something. The result was instant, and frightening. Across the room, a strange box burst into pictures and sound, seemingly free from the aid of human hands. She let out a tiny scream as the noise filled the room.

Thinking fast, she fished out the object she had inadvertently sat on—a small black rectangular thing that was covered in what looked like buttons. In a panic, she started pressing random buttons, trying to make the whatever-it-was stop whatever-it-was-doing. Instead, a multitude of things happened with each button she pushed.

It got softer.

The moving picture and noises changed. Now, instead of what sounded very _vaguely_ like music (and what unusual music it was, certainly nothing like she had danced to in Chizeta or anywhere else!), there were people running around and explosions and such.

Strange characters—she assumed they were words or letters or some sort of strange Earthian writing—appeared on screen, standing out white against a bright blue background on top of the image.

The image changed again. Now it was people…was that supposed to be dancing? Amateurs…

More of her fellow Cephireans were starting to rouse, and had wandered into the room. They joined her in staring in wide-eyed amazement and apprehension at the strange box in the corner. Caldina tossed the strange button-covered box to Lantis. "Here, try!"

The swordsman looked faintly bewildered, then followed Caldina's instructions and started pushing buttons, apparently at random. And more of the same happened.

It got louder.

More writing.

A new picture—a group of girls in short skirts with bows on the front were striking a variety of poses and talking to some weird-looking creature, not entirely unlike the monsters that wandered Cephiro. A guy in a strange black and white outfit with a cape and a mask over his face was throwing roses and saying strange things behind the short-skirt girls.

"What in the world…?" Presea murmured, peering over the cail's shoulder.

It got louder.

Louder.

_Much_ louder.

The assembled Cephireans put their hands over their ears, trying to figure out what to do. This was beyond strange, and beyond frightening. Was this thing dangerous?

"What the **hell** is going on here?"

The irate voice carried over the screeching noise of the moving-picture-box, and everyone heard it through the barriers protecting their ears. All turned and looked at the unholy demon, the all-powerful being who had just appeared in their midst, descended upon them ready and fully willing to unleash all the powers of Heaven and Hell on them.

"Oh…uh, good morning, Umi," Caldina called.

The Knight of Selece looked…well, no one had ever seen her like that before. An enormous blue short-sleeved shirt that hung all the way to her knees and entirely swallowed her slight frame, and loose-fitting blue and white striped pants, beneath which her bare feet poked out. Some strands of hair were sticking out at odd angles; she looked disheveled, a state none had seen Umi in before.

Furthermore, her eyes were glaring at them from underneath her spiked bangs. "What the hell is going on here? Someone better explain to me why I'm awake at seven in the morning on a weekend," she repeated, her voice low and calm, yet quite audible to all. That, combined with the strange hell-fires spouting up behind her, were both veeeeeeeeeeery bad signs.

At a loss for what else to do, Presea pointed at the screaming picture-box and held up the button-covered rectangular thing that had found its way into her hands. She gave Umi a helpless look as she gestured, hoping desperately that the wrath of God did not fall upon her.

Ryuuzaki Umi, the Knight of Selece, stared. She stared for just long enough for everyone to get really, _really_ nervous. Then she blinked owlishly at them twice, and sighed. "Honestly…gimme the remote." She stalked over, somehow managing to not trip over those insanely long pants, and grabbed the button thingie—remote?—from Presea.

She pointed it at the box thingie and pressed and held a button down. The thing got softer. She pressed another button, and the picture disappeared. It was now black where the picture had been. Having done this, Umi dropped the remote down onto the table and wheeled on her friends.

"Make yourselves at home. By all means, do. There's food in the kitchen," she pointed towards the room that Caldina had been examining earlier. "But I swear to God, the next person who wakes me up before I am ready to wake up is getting stabbed in the eyes. Furthermore, if anything is destroyed when I come back down, I promise the perpetrator lots and lots of unspecified torture. Clear? Good."

She turned on her heel and stalked out of the room. There was a series of thumping sounds as she climbed the stairs, apparently heading back to her bed.

The Cephireans deciding that sitting and waiting patiently was probably their best option.

Less chance of being…well, stabbed in the eyes.

_o_

_o_

It was later that day, well into mid-afternoon. And Umi was in a much better mood for it.

She was in so much better of a mood, in fact, that she offered to take anyone who was interested out on the town and show them around Tokyo. This idea was met by much acclaim and excitement, especially from Caldina.

So it was with a great amount of show and large quantities of noise and much hustle-and-bustle, the girls-plus-Lantis (who insisted rather urgently on accompanying the girls to protect them, despite the protests that the only thing they might need to be protected against was going over their credit limit with Caldina around).

But before they could leave, they had to alter their appearances slightly. Lantis only gave in after some major cajoling on Hikaru's part, and within a short amount of time, the cail was turned out in some clothing swiped from Umi's father's dresser. He didn't look terribly happy. In fact, Lantis looked downright strange in the khakis and blue shirt. He didn't necessarily look _bad_; it was merely odd to see him in anything other than black. He seemed ready to protest, until he noticed Hikaru watching him with a raised eyebrow.

She liked.

She liked _lots_.

Meanwhile, Presea seemed perfectly content in a pair of jeans and a sweater pulled from Umi's own closet; she seemed quite taken with the denim pants. Caldina had been a little harder to fit due to the fact that she was a bit more, ah, robust in certain areas than Umi, AND the fact that she didn't want to wear anything too modest, after all. But finally, she bent before the pleading of three Magic Knights, and agreed to the oversized sweatshirt as well.

Takeshi, ever the gentleman, volunteered to hang back at Umi's and keep an eye on Ferio and Clef and see about acquainting both of them with various Earth devices. This last was agreed upon when Clef was found having a staring contest with the blinking 12:00 on the DVD player; fortunately, they caught the Master Mage just before he decided that it was some kind of demon and destroyed it with magic.

Takeshi also promised to keep the two from wrecking anything—by pharmaceutical means, if deemed necessary. He was given permission to do just about anything to keep himself alive, should the need for it arise. It was at this point he could be heard muttering to himself about how he loved this about as much as a fork in the eye.

Clef calmed down relatively quickly once he was assured that the blinkie thing was not evil. In fact, Takeshi showed the diminutive mage how to work the contraption, and Clef was quite taken with it. When Takeshi peered in on him after the girls had left, he found the Guru enraptured, lost in the realm of wonder and amazement that was _The Emperor's New Groove._ (AN: I heart Disney movies!)

They weren't too concerned about Ferio breaking anything, though. The Cephirean Prince was quite handled. He had fallen under the hypnotic spell of a small fiber optic device sitting on the windowsill. Every now and then, he could be heard murmuring something that sounded suspiciously like "Shiny…"

Takeshi vaguely wondered if the Prince was going to start calling it Preciousssssssss.

Mokona bounded around like mad, looking at everything. The little fluff ball seemed particularly taken with the various framed pictures set up on tables and hung on the walls, most of them featuring Umi and her family.

Ascot proved to be the only truly sensible one, and zonked out quite neatly on the couch.

But the shoppers returned home, hours later, to find the house still intact, Ferio still mesmerized, and Clef clutching a pillow, staring at the TV screen in terror. When Presea asked what was wrong, he turned to her, pointed at the movie playing on-screen, and said in a horrified whisper, "Why is the candlestick dancing?"

The pharle looked blankly at the screen. It offered no answers. It merely sang at her, _Be__ our guest, be our guest…_ She sighed and shook her head. Earth was just plain _weird_.

But Caldina managed to drag the two boys into the kitchen and planted them both at the table therein. She then proceeded to show them what they had bought. Every. Single. Thing. It seemed that Caldina and Presea both had taken quite a liking to Earth fashions, though they both looked slightly confused when Fuu started humming "Harajuku Girls" under her breath.

Presea's love affair with denim manifested itself in her choice of clothing. She had plenty of it, jeans and a very nice jean jacket that had Umi's little fashionista fingerprints all over it. And all the guys (including Lantis, who had been dragged shopping all day and wanted nothing more than to curl up and die) were treated to an impromptu fashion show.

When everyone finally fell over in exhaustion, the conversation and mood turned more serious as Clef brought up the topic of their enemy's plans, and the fact that he had been unable to locate Xander anywhere on Earth. This was met with much surprise.

"What does that mean, exactly?" Hikaru asked tentatively, looking down at the small white creature sitting in her lap. "Mokona—or Creator, I guess—said that he came here. How could he not be here?" She looked confused, a bit frightened.

"Maybe he was here and then bounced somewhere else," Ferio suggested, tapping his chin thoughtfully with one finger. "If he's powerful enough to jump between our world and this one, then whose to say he couldn't find another world to hide out in?"

"It is possible, but then wouldn't Mokona have said something by now?" Presea inquired, glancing over at the marshmallow rabbit…thing. It 'puu-ed' innocently, the light reflecting cheerily off the pink gem on its forehead.

Across the table, the Wind Knight frowned. Something was bothering Fuu, and had been for a while. She had the terrible feeling that she was missing something important, and with that feeling came the unpleasant sensation that it should have been something relatively obvious. What wasn't she getting?

"I dunno where that guy is…but ya gotta hear about this!" Caldina bubbled, blithely changing the subject. She immediately began to fill them in, telling them more about the strange things they had seen, like the carriage that could move at insanely fast speeds (Umi called it a train) and all the fascinating things in the store windows, such as the sparkly things called "rhinestones."

And those strange shoes—Caldina liked those. What were they called—flip-flops?

How strange. How very strange, indeed.

_o_

_o_

There she was.

Ascot peered cautiously around the corner, observing the girl sitting at the table.

Umi had taken that seat at the table in the kitchen quite some time ago after fixing herself some sort of beverage—judging by the steam, it was a hot drink. But the steam had evaporated over the course of the time she had been sitting there, and he suspected that it had gotten cold. If it was supposed to be hot, it probably wouldn't taste too good if it had grown cold.

But Ascot wasn't really interested in Umi's drink. He was interested in Umi—who was staring at the most-likely-cold beverage in the mug. She was gazing into it as though it held either the answer to life itself, or the winning lottery numbers.

He really hadn't gotten much time to actually talk to the Water Knight. But he'd spent a great deal of time watching her. Too bad a lot of _that_ time had been while she was unconscious and looking like yesterday's leftovers (to use her wry phrase). But after the reunion in Cephiro and all this time watching her, he was sure of it. Definitely sure of it.

_L_ is for the way you look at me, indeed…

It had been a long day, and the only thing that had really been accomplished was Caldina's achievement of nirvana, courtesy of an Earth-based wardrobe update (thanks to Umi) and the discovery of a new food, called _chocolate_. Fuu had offered everyone a taste of the sweet food, and it had proven quite a hit with all involved. Mental notes had been made to send a great deal of the delicacy back to Cephiro with them when they had to return.

Outside the sizable kitchen window, the sky had grown dark. There were a few faint streams of light from the sunset, reaching across the blue-black sky like orange and pink fingers. Night was settling in, and most of Umi's houseguests had taken to their beds early. Even Ascot was dressed for bed, though he wasn't in the least bit tired yet. He was too keyed up to sleep, and that was all tied in with a very special, very specific someone.

He was such a sucker for a certain pair of big blue eyes…

Taking a deep breath, he stepped around the corner. "Uh…Umi?"

She started a bit, seemed to recover herself, and threw him a shy smile. "Ascot. Sorry, didn't notice you came in." She shrugged. "I'm a little out of it."

"Do you…uh…want some company?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

"Sure. Pull up a chair," she gestured to the one beside her.

"Okay." Did he sound like a complete and utter moron? Most likely. But it was Umi. She just naturally had that affect on him, without even trying or being aware of it, he supposed.

Part of his problem with talking to her was, of course, his natural shyness. That was an enormous obstacle. Secondly was the form he had adopted for himself; Cephirean laws of will allowed him to keep himself in this form. Unfortunately, when he'd chosen that age, he had forgotten about one thing.

Humans at that age tended to have things called _hormones_. These wondrous and irritating things called hormones tended to pick the absolute worst moments to stick their little chemical fingers into things and make him all nervous and sweaty.

He glanced at her as he sat down. She was wearing the same loose pants as she'd been wearing that morning, with the blue and white stripes. But instead of the enormous tunic-like shirt, she was in something white that fit much more closely, with skinny little straps and a neckline that was a bit lower than anything he'd seen her in before. One would think that hanging around Caldina for as long as he had would have him accustomed to such things, but nooooooo…apparently not…

Ascot suddenly had a _massive_—beyond massive—hot flash; his face was probably bright enough to light up the entire sky beyond the window. And it only got worse when she heaved a huge sigh, taking in quite a large breath, and…ah…moving…

Ascot suddenly became _completely_ incapacitated as the Magical Hormone Fairies descended upon him and carried him far, far away. To Planet Bouncy. He had no desire to return immediately.

Fortunately, she didn't look up, and thereby avoided noticing his rapt attention to certain parts of her. When he realized he was staring, though, he wrenched his eyes away and focused on the tabletop in front of him, noticing (not for the first time) that Umi was a very beautiful woman.

"Why are you still up?" she asked softly. "I thought everyone else had gone to bed."

"Couldn't sleep," he mumbled. "Thinking." He took a deep breath, and took a risk. "I'm…I'm worried about you." Babbling set in rapidly. "You know, with everything that's happening lately, and I thought you might be upset, and I don't want you to get hurt or anything—"

_And the award for Babbling Life a Complete Dunce goes to me!_ Ascot thought glumly, no longer able to extend any real control over his mouth. He made a mental note to have a word with his body about this sudden coup; it seemed to be on a mission to embarrass him royally.

After a minute or so of this, Umi seemed to have had enough; her eyes flashed dangerously. "Ascot, it's really not _that_ big a deal. This problem is chicken soup," Umi huffed, a little too forcibly to really be a show of temper. "Don't make it into lobster bisque."

Well, that stopped the rambling. It also stopped all outside thoughts as he tried to figure out what the hell she was talking about. Fortunately, at his blank stare and questioning murmur of 'Bisque?' Umi sighed and shook her head, apparently taking pity on him. "Never mind. What I'm trying to say is that you shouldn't worry so much. I'm fine. I'm feeling a lot better, so don't waste energy being so concerned."

"But…I don't want anything to happen to you," he said softly.

She looked at him for a minute, then smiled gently, and reached over to squeeze his hand with equal tenderness. "Thank you. I do appreciate that. But I'm a Magic Knight. Danger's kind of a requirement. Part of the deal. In the job description and all that jazz." She laughed a little, but there wasn't any real humor in it.

He waited a moment before daring to question. "Umi…are you really okay?"

There was a pause, and for a terrible moment, he thought for sure he'd ruined everything.

Then, to his amazement, she shook her head. "No. No, I'm not. I'm miserable and tired and depressed…and really whiny at the moment. I just want this whole stupid mess to be done with." She leaned forward, letting her elbows rest on the table, and putting her face in her hands. "I don't know what's happening. I don't understand _why_ it's happening. And…" she hesitated, then confessed her one real remaining secret of this whole fiasco. "I've been having very strange dreams."

Ascot pressed only slightly, and she told him of the monstrous darkness that swallowed her dream-scape, and of the shadow-woman that leapt to her aide without fail. She told him of her visions, of fire and death. She told him of the pain of the demonic possession that had forced her to attack her own friends, and of the hands that reached out to her with the light to save her. But she kept coming back to the dreams, those frightening nighttime visions, and the unknown guardian who had kept her safe thus far. And the as-yet unfinished message, _Open your arms to…_

"…but how long can she keep me safe?" Umi sighed as her words started to run out. "I mean, Xander's obviously growing in his power. He wouldn't have been able to jump worlds if he wasn't getting stronger. If we assume that's true, than can we also assume that sooner or later, whoever-she-is won't be able to keep them off." She slumped a little. "I'm dooooooomed…"

"Well…" Ascot said softly, hesitantly, "you were the one who broke out of the possession. She only helped you, but you had to pull free from it, right? And ultimately, it sounds like she wants you to do something, right? That's what the message is. She just hasn't finished it." He let his chin rest in one palm as he thought hard, trying to find something that would help Umi relax about everything. "So whatever she wants you to open your arms to must be important. That's what she wants you to do. If you figure that out, or get the rest of the message, maybe that'll give you a clue."

Umi stared at him in surprise. She really hadn't expected such insight from her young summoner friend, but she was glad for the counsel. And she felt her heart do a strange little jig inside her.

"But you said you don't know who she is?" he asked, and she shook her head. "It doesn't seem like there's really anything you or anyone else can do until we've got the rest of her message or her identity. I think we can safely call her a friend, but don't rule out anything yet. Just keep your guard up, and I'm sure you'll be fine."

She nodded, gracing him with a smile—a soft, genuine smile. She hadn't really smiled like that in quite a while, and certainly not at him. The tiny gift, that smile, was enough to send another tremor through him; his palms were suddenly a bit damp.

Stupid hormones.

Wonderful hormones.

_Not now, hormones!_

The conversation trailed off then, into a silence that was far more comfortable than awkward.

Ascot occasionally shot glances at her, dragging his gaze away quickly, then repeating the process.

If he'd paid a little more attention, he might have noticed that he wasn't the only one sneaking a peek. Umi's eyes tended more often than not to drift in his direction; her face would turn pink, and she'd nonchalantly turn her head before he noticed.

It was an unspoken game, like something scripted out of a movie. He looked at her, then glanced away at the _exact_ moment she turned her head to look at him, and vice versa. A hypothetical observer would have either laughed, or face-palmed and groaned.

But finally, they managed to turn their heads at the same time, and they froze. Both quickly turned their gazes elsewhere. Ascot found a particularly interesting spot on the wall that seemed to resemble Clef's head, and Umi got into a staring contest with the dial on the stove.

The atmosphere turned a bit tense.

Ascot stood up so fast he nearly knocked his chair over. Umi jumped a bit at his movement. "I think I'll go to bed now. Goodnight, Umi." He headed towards the door, already planning to hit his head against the wall a few dozen times in self-loathing for such a clumsy exit after a decent conversation. But he paused by the door, and said softly over his shoulder, "If you need anything…just come find me."

Umi watched him head out; something stirred at his final words, and she stood up. "Wait. Just a second, please." When he hesitated, she blurted out the words before she even had time to process them. "Why do you care so much?" She instantly made a note to have a word with her mouth about connecting with her brain _before_ it started going.

He wavered feverishly. It was the perfect opportunity. A simple question that had left him the biggest, most opportune opening he could have ever asked for. Now, the choice: to jump through that perfect window she had so graciously opened for him, tell her the truth, and discipline himself with a nice, heavy brick…or to run away, screaming his head off, and then later, feel incredibly stupid…and _then_ discipline himself with a nice, heavy brick.

She saw him thinking it over. She saw the conflict on his face. And she saw the resolution as he turned to face her full-on, his bangs obscuring his face and hiding his eyes. But she could tell from the determined set of his jaw that he was serious. But nothing prepared her for his words.

"Because I love you."

And he swept out of the room without waiting for her response. As soon as he was out of sight, he hightailed it back up to the room that had been designated as his, his heart jack-hammering inside him…with every intention of disciplining himself with a nice, heavy brick.

Back in the kitchen, there was a distinct crashing sound as the floor dropped out from under Umi.

Feeling pole-axed, she realized, was getting to be an unpleasantly regular occurrence.

After a few minutes, the feeling came back into Umi's limbs and the world came back into some semblance of focus. She sprinted towards the door and up the stairs, not terribly surprised to find that Ascot had disappeared somewhere. But she really wasn't looking for Ascot at the moment, as she wasn't quite sure what she was supposed to say to him. She stopped at a door and knocked with a shaky hand.

A few seconds passed before the door opened (as doors were wont to do). Fuu's slightly-rumpled head poked out; one hand was adjusting her glasses on her face, and her hair was sticking out at odd angles here and there. That, plus the fact that she was in pajamas, led Umi to deduce that her fellow Magic Knight had been sleeping.

"Umi?" Fuu sounded a bit confused at the interruption of her slumber. "Whatsa matter?"

"I…I…" Umi managed about that much before she just lunged forward into a rather abrupt hug. "Fuu, he told me he loves me and I didn't know and then he left and—it's Ascot, I mean—and I don't know what to do and I'm reeeeeeeeeally confused and…help!" The torrent died off only as Umi ran out of air and let her babbling end on that one pleading note.

Fuu, meanwhile, had caught the surprise hug one-armed, and was now staring at the top of her friend's head in surprise. She blinked a few times, trying to wake up, and then finally managed to process what Umi was telling her.

Ascot plus love confession equals Umi having a panic attack.

But the point was that he had finally said it (and about damn time, too, if Fuu's observations during their earlier escapades in Cephiro had been correct as well), and as a result, a friend needed some counsel and a friendly ear.

Fuu stepped aside, ushering Umi into the room. "Well, let's talk."

Umi nodded, sniffling, and allowed herself to be pulled inside.

_o_

_o_

"It is almost time."

The words were sudden enough that the guards at the door to Xander's study jumped in surprise. Aeric, however, was quite accustomed to his lord's mannerisms, and failed to show if he was startled in the least. Instead, he merely said, "For which, sir?"

"Everything," Xander smiled lazily. "The seal was broken, and soon, things will be as they were, and as they are supposed to be." His smirk diminished as his expression hardened. "I will have Cephiro. And I will have the world that spawned those wretched girls."

"The army is ready, milord," Aeric said after a moment of silence. "And with the Guru in their world, their defenses should be minimal." The general lifted his sword from the table beside him, running his hands over the scabbard almost lovingly, thinking of blood spilling and enemies dying. "The invasion of Cephiro will commence at your command."

Xander did not respond. He was gazing out the window at the space that lay beyond.

Cephiro. The ripe peach, dangling on the tree just beyond his reach. Tantalizing him. Teasing him. Making his mouth water for a hunger that would not be sated by any normal means.

It should have been his the first time…if not for _her_.

_Her…_

His eyelids fell to plunge him into the darkness that lay behind them, as he spent a rare moment reminiscing, lost in the twisted maze of memories past. He remembered…

_"I'm very pleased to meet you." Her smile was sweet as she offered him a hand of welcome…_

**_No…_**

_"I've heard stories of your power. Everyone says that you have a great talent for magic and sorcery. Rumors even say that you might be in line for the title of Guru. Do you know if that's true?" He was again struck by her beauty as she asked about his power…_

**_It was never true…_**

_She looked troubled at his declaration, and shifted uneasily. "I—I don't know what to say. I'm flattered, but…I can't return your feelings. My heart has belonged to another for a long time now, and I won't leave him." She reached towards him. "I hope you find someone else. Someone who will make you happiest. You deserve it." He jerked away from her hand, turned on his heel, and stormed down the corridor, fury clouding his vision…_

**_You lied…_**

_Even across the gap, she recognized him. She was horrified, her eyes wide with shock and dismay. He simply waited to see what she would say. Was he good enough now? Was he strong enough now for her? Was this what she wanted?_

_But tears welled in her eyes as she stared at him, and even though they were separated by a great distance, he could hear her words as clearly as if she had been standing beside him, whispering them into his ear. "What have you become?"_

_The anger surged, and so did the power, the dragon of darkness. He had sold his soul for the chance to punish her, and he would now have that vengeance. As the power moved, the ground around him erupted in a circle probably fifty feet in diameter, sending soldiers and monsters from both sides flying._

_She had rejected him yet again. She would pay. The power was fully awake, and it was not to be denied. It was of the darkness and the shadow, and it now owned him. It had the ability to devour everything, and it sought blood and pain and death._

**_You traitorous bitch…_**

Xander's eyes opened, and he forced the snarl from his lips. "Invade. Immediately. I want Cephiro destroyed and handed to me on a platter. Go. Now." There was no answer, merely a rustle of cloth as Aeric swept out of the room. The door closed.

The sorcerer steepled his fingers in front of his face, fighting down his rage. It was strange, but even though he had shoved those memories back down, he could still see blue eyes, drowning in tears, staring at him. And that made him angrier still.

Vengeance. She had beaten him once. But she was gone now, and he would not be sealed away again. Not by her, nor by anyone. He knew now that the one with the power to bring him to his knees was not even aware of that power, nor of the legacy that fell upon her shoulders.

He breathed her name with a tremor of fury. The word fell into the darkness and was swallowed by the silence. Exactly what he had wished on her, so very long ago.

_o_

_o_

Umi did not look at Ascot.

Ascot did not look at Umi.

And Caldina was about ready to smack both of them upside the head.

But alas, there were more important matters at hand then whatever had happened between the two of them (which was a mystery in and of itself). The entire force was crowded around a table, discussing the impending threat of their enemy.

"I've tried everything I can think of," Clef sighed. "And nothing had turned up. I have to believe that he's just not here. Creator has confirmed that Xander is not in Cephiro either."

"So basically," Ferio interjected, "if he's neither here nor there, then where the hell is he!"

"That is the mystery we have to solve if we're going to bring him down," Presea asserted.

"Could he be masking himself somehow?" Hikaru asked. "We know he's powerful. There's no question of that. We just didn't know exactly how powerful. But if he's got enough magic to open his own bridge between our world and Cephiro, then maybe he found a way to use his magic to mask his magic…" She paused and frowned. "I don't think even I understand what I'm saying now…"

Fuu's head snapped back, and she rounded on Hikaru, green eyes blazing. She grabbed the tiny redhead by the shoulders, ignoring the quizzical looks of the others. "Repeat what you just said."

Hikaru blinked owlishly at her. "I don't think I can…"

"No, before all that!"

"Umm…he must be powerful if he can jump between worlds?" Hikaru postulated.

"What was the word you used?" Fuu demanded.

"I think I called it a bridge. Why?"

Fuu released Hikaru and sat back in her chair, tapping thoughtfully at her chin. Everyone waited, none daring to interrupt. All could see that there was something going on behind those eyes. The Knight of Windam had always been said to be the wisest of the three, and Fuu's formidable intellect, a match with that aspect of their legend, was now hammering away at the problem that had been laid before her.

After what seemed eons, she spoke. Slowly, she said, "Creator, could it be called a bridge?"

In a flare of white light, Mokona sprouted wings. "Why do you ask?"

"Because," she smirked, the look of one who has just finished a particularly challenging task and is quite satisfied with themselves, "if it's a bridge…well…don't bridges usually cross something?"

Everyone gaped.

Even Umi lifted her eyes from the tabletop…and stood up. "Are you suggesting…?"

"A space between worlds," Clef murmured, visibly mulling over the notion.

All eyes shifted to the fluff ball floating at Fuu's elbow.

"There is a space that lies between the worlds of Earth and Cephiro," Creator intoned. "It keeps the two separate and unaware of each other. It is nothing but a void, an emptiness."

"If Xander figured out how to go there…" Lantis tapped his chin.

"It's the perfect hidin' place," Caldina agreed.

"Creator," Umi fixed Mokona with a Look, "is it possible for _us_ to go there?"

Silence.

"I'll take that as a yes," Umi tossed her hair back over her shoulder and sat back down.

"So…are we going to go?" Hikaru asked softly; she looked uneasy.

"I think," Fuu replied in an equally-quiet voice, "that we have to."

Umi nodded. "He's after Cephiro and Earth both. We're the protectors of Cephiro, and we're the only ones from Earth who _can_ stop him. We're the Magic Knights. We don't have a choice…" Her voice trailed off to the nods she was receiving in answer. It seemed that only the Magic Knights were actually forming the plan, but the others were giving their input silently.

"We should go as soon as possible," Fuu stood. "I say tonight."

"From Tokyo Tower," Hikaru also rose.

"Agreed," Umi joined them.

It was then that Presea interjected. "Tokyo Tower?"

"That's where we landed when we came here," Umi replied.

"But why from there?" the pharle persisted.

"Because every time something related to Cephiro has happened to us, it's been from there," Fuu told her. "Call it tradition, sentiment, a gateway, a convenience, or whatever, but I know I would feel more comfortable that way. And if we go at the right time, no one will be there to see us go."

There was a chorus of nods and mutters of understanding. And it was decided.

Tokyo Tower.

That night.

The battle was about to begin.

_o_

_o_

_o_

**AN: **Whew…it's done! I thought the story had been getting very serious as of late, and the next couple chapters are going to be in that same tone. So a little comic relief before we dive back in. Some of these were just scenes I've had playing out in my head, and they kind of jumped on my shoulders and started yelling to be written. Besides, I like the phrase "magical hormone fairies." But anyway…

Okay, I'm going to give a **very fair warning** right here and now. The next chapter is going to be THE BEAST. It will be the mother of all chapters, probably the longest chapter I have ever written to date. The summary of it on the outline was two pages in and of itself, it's that massive. A lot will happen in this upcoming chapter. It is also probably the most important chapter in the entire fic, and promises to be quite the roller coaster ride (read: twists abound!), so naturally I'm going to want it to be juuuuuuuuust right.

So we've got long, involved, twisted, and important. **Translation:** I do not promise, nor do I intend, to finish the next chapter quickly. I am going to take my time on it, until it is to the point that I want it to be at before I put it up for everyone to read and ponder over. Trust me—if this comes out half as well as I hope it will, it'll be well worth the wait, as we enter the final leg of this journey.

Also, I plan on having a Review Talk next chapter as well. It's been far too long since I sent my thanks and replies to my amazing reviewers and readers—after all, y'all are the reason I continue to write this epic. So send in your questions, comments, guesses (I like reading guesses!), whatevers, and if all goes well, you will get some responses next chapter. I thank you all for your patience, and will do my best to not disappoint you after the wait. Thank you all very much, and hope to see you all next chapter!

**NEXT CHAPTER: **As the enemy finally makes his move and reveals his true power and ambition, some friends make their appearances. And one of them will bring the truth of the message in Umi's dreams…this summary is what we, in the biz, like to call the "tip of the iceberg." See ya next chapter!


	14. A Battle for Two Worlds

**AN: **Greetings once again, dear friends. Well, here we are—the much-lauded fourteenth chapter. Truly, a chapter full of variety and nuance, and spam…lots of spam…sorry, been listening to the **Spamalot** soundtrack while I type. Makes me think weird things. _:Candy__-chan hums The Song That Goes Like This:_

Anyway, I thank and applaud all of you for your patience. I thought this would take me forever to write, but most of it really wrote itself, so it's finished far, far sooner than I thought it would be. Not really saying much, though, is it? Still took a hella long time. But this one has been a labor of love, and I can now offer up to you the chapter I've been waiting eagerly to write since I started this fic well over a year ago. I think you're all in for a little bit of a surprise. I grin evilly at all of you. _:Candy__-chan grins evilly at all the lovely readers and reviewers:_

Without further ado, here we go. I don't own Magic Knight Rayearth, but I do own my original characters. They is all mine. If you reeeeeeeally wanna use one, ask. I'll probably say yes. So let's go. Enjoy!

_o_

_o_

_o_

**A Battle for Two Worlds**

In a few scant hours, things were all going to come to a head.

Under the relative cover of night, the odd ensemble was going to head to Tokyo Tower and attempt to finish what their enemy had started. It was not an overly pleasant prospect, and it offered definite opportunities for a variety of deaths, but they were Magic Knights. They were the only ones who could stop Xander and whatever he was planning to do with their two worlds.

They had no real clues as to his intent, though. All they had were those few small clues Umi had brought back from her excursions in Xander's palace—their enemy's grudge against Cephiro ran very deep, and seemingly went back very far. He had admitted to Umi that he was a Cephirean native. It stood to reason that something had happened within the country's borders, or involving someone from Cephiro. But without knowing what or who that was, there was no way to help that.

So they would fight, and they had to triumph…or else.

_o_

_o_

_Hmmmm…pillow…_ Umi curled up and pulled a throw blanket up to her chin. Head resting comfortably on the aforementioned cushion, she closed her eyes and snuggled down, already drowsy. Bingo—instant warmth. And oh, so comfy…

The hours were moving by so slowly, Umi had decided to crash for a bit and make sure she was well rested. She already knew that Xander had a special interest in her, so she thought it would be in her best interest to be at full power.

Kagura and Takeshi would accompany them to the Tower. In Kagura's words, they were already involved, and they were going to see this through until the end. After some argument, they had their way, and it was agreed that they would assist in ushering the other-worlders towards their destination.

But that wasn't for a while yet. So—she napped.

As she drifted off, her thoughts drifted as well. About Xander and Aeric and possession and fighting and dreams and shadows and Ascot…especially Ascot. So much had happened as of late…her entire world had merrily done back-flips all over again. And she wondered, as she fell asleep, if she would dream again now, knocking on Hell's door, as it were…

_"Oh great, here we go again," she muttered in spite of herself, finding herself once again in the recurring world of her Dreamscape. As usual, the tsunami of darkness swept over the world beneath her, swallowing all those she held dear. But something had changed._

_In the shadow-beast that loomed over her, she saw Xander. His face, angry and crimson-eyed, snarled down at her in infuriated triumph. And when he attacked her again, her guardian appeared once again. As with Xander in the monster, her protector was clearer than ever. Umi could see the outline of a cape entwining around the woman's lithe figure, and when she turned to look at Umi, her eyes stood out a vivid blue against the darkness of her face._

_"Why won't you tell me who you are?" Umi demanded angrily._

_"Open your arms to…" the woman whispered._

_"Show me your face!" Umi screamed._

_"Open your arms to…"_

_"What do you want from me?"_

_"Open your arms to…"_

_As the woman's form exploded with light, Umi saw things. A montage of images that hit her right between the eyes, some were things she had seen before, and others were new to her eyes. New or old, though, it hit her with a force that hurt._

_A couple arguing—she recognized the man as Xander, and the woman as the protector from her dreams. Even though she couldn't clearly see the woman, she could see uncertainty in her posture and hand gestures, whereas Xander merely seemed furious…_

_An arrow slammed into her chest, and she jerked backwards, feeling something sharp beneath her as she landed on her back on the ground. Around her were the screams of the dying and the dead and so much bright red…_

_A pillar of flames swept down from the air itself, devouring the form of a woman cradling another in her arms. Her screams tore through the air and the roar of the firestorm as it swallowed her whole…_

_The glint of a sword and another splash of red staining her vision amidst a swirl of white-feathered wings above her and a feeling of regret that permeated everything through the crimson haze…_

_Fingers touched her forehead and gave her the tiniest of pushes, sending her flying backwards into the abyss that led back to wakefulness, though sadness trailed after her like the tail of a kite._

Umi opened her eyes, momentarily immobile. As she stared at the ceiling, she wondered why her vision was blurred, until she realized she was crying. She brushed at her eyes with the back of one hand and sat up. A glance at the clock revealed that she had been out for nearly an hour and a half. It was strange—she felt exhausted, but energized.

The dream troubled her, more than the others had. Up until that point, it had been the same, always the same. Why did it change now? And who were those other people?

Her hands tightened around the blanket, and she frowned. The shadow in her dream—that was Xander. She knew that much now—his face in the shadow…how could she have missed that before? But the other things still confused her. Why was Xander arguing with the woman who protected her?

Umi sighed and dropped back against the pillow. And she hoped against hope that she would get the answers she so desperately when she would once again face Xander at Tokyo Tower.

Tonight.

_o_

_o_

"Fuu?"

She tensed and swallowed hard. "Yes?"

Hands touched her shoulders. She didn't turn to look at Ferio; it was enough of a struggle keeping herself from shivering at the slight touch. She could feel him close behind her. So very close…

"I…well, I just…I…" Ferio's voice lost sound with each syllable, until he was simply moving his mouth, but no sound was coming out. _Whoa…what the hell happened to my volume control?_

When he didn't get the point across after almost a full sixty seconds, Fuu sighed and stepped away. Ever since she had taken a knife to the back for him, they had almost had an unspoken agreement that they just stayed away from each other. There had been moments when she had nearly broken and thrown herself into his arms, but she had restrained herself. Just thinking about him made her ache, both her shoulder and her heart.

Furthermore, she still had a certain ring, tucked safely away. She really should just give it back to him, but…sigh, sigh, _siiiiiiiigh_. There just weren't any really easy answers, were there?

"I have to go," she murmured, and hurried out of the room.

The minute she was away from him, though, she found herself admiring a rather large, ornate vase sitting on an end table in the next room, and wondering exactly how heavy it was—heavy enough, perhaps, to leave a nice dent in her nice, thick skull.

Perhaps it would knock some belated sense into her.

She paused and gazed at her reflection in a mirror hanging on the wall in the hallway. "After this is over," she promised herself. "After we deal with Xander and make sure Umi's okay, Ferio. You and I are going to have a little chat." The mirror's sigh was an echo of her own. "We'll be okay."

Her reflection almost seemed to nod in agreement.

_o_

_o_

In the comfortable quiet of the guest room she had commandeered, Hikaru stared at the ceiling. She was unusually somber, sprawled alone in the relative darkness, thinking. Thinking about…things.

Not exactly profound, but true. Her thoughts were wandering from here to there, hither and back again and in loop-de-loops and spirals that left her head spinning, her instincts screaming, and her course of action undecided.

She was uneasy, and frightened, to a certain extent. But mostly she was worried.

Umi had once said that there was nothing more meaningless than one of Hikaru's 'I'm fine's.' Well, at the moment, that statement could easily be reversed. Umi wasn't fine, no matter what she said. Everything that was happening to her was taking its toll, ripping her apart…

And yet she still walked with her head held high, intact.

She was fighting through.

Hikaru sighed and got up. She wasn't sleeping, so maybe she could walk around or something before it was Time. She walked over the door, opened it—and ran right into a brick wall.

Except brick walls didn't carry swords or wear armor.

Rubbing her now-aching nose, Hikaru looked up, and smiled—which made her nose hurt even more. Hopefully, it wasn't broken. "Lantis, how long have you been standing out here?"

He didn't answer.

She paused, then smiled. "Come on, walk with me."

Lantis wasn't allowed the opportunity to decline, because Hikaru suddenly regained her usual energy and grabbed his arm, dragging him down the stairs and out the front door into the peaceful sunlight of the late afternoon.

_o_

_o_

Umi looked at Hikaru.

Hikaru looked at Fuu.

Fuu looked at Umi.

All three nodded. "Okay," Hikaru said, visibly squaring her shoulders. "Let's do it to it."

And with that, the group was off, heading back to Tokyo Tower to wage a battle that would undoubtedly decide the fate of Cephiro, Earth, and all other worlds. Xander was waiting.

The trip there was as enlightening as the one to Umi's house had been, and Fuu simply told those who stared that they were on their way to either a costume party, or an LARP convention, then hustled the Cephireans along in a biiiiiiiig hurry. However, strange looks aside, when they tried to go to the top of Tokyo Tower, they met a very unexpected snag in their plan: a guard.

"I'm sorry, but the observation deck is not open to visitors. The Tower was vandalized last night," the guard said, his face and tone somber, as though he couldn't imagine why anyone would want to harm the landmark. "Some punks broke some windows."

"Oh…" Fuu's face fell. They _had_ to go from the Tower. It was…well, it was hard to explain, but it was just the way things had to be. So if this man was in their way. _Hmmmm…_ she thought back to previous experiences in the magical world, and something clicked. She threw a glance at Caldina, who looked back at her quizzically before the message clicked.

Caldina pulled out her fan and tapped her toe twice on the floor. "Sweet dreams, everybody!" she whispered, brandishing her unusual weapon. She had done this many a time—even Ascot had fallen prey to Caldina's unique brand of magic. A dust soon appeared in the air, creating a strange pink film that enveloped everything. Within mere moments, all of the guards, workers, and ordinary people milling around were sound asleep, curled in small heaps on the ground.

"Way to go, Caldina!" Takeshi nodded his approval as they stepped around and over the guard and other slumbering forms and headed for the elevator. In a few seconds, they were on their way to the top.

"Well…here we are," Umi said a bit too casually as they stepped from the elevator onto the observation platform of Tokyo Tower. The glass that had carpetted the floor was gone, and there was yellow boundary tape all around the broken windows. That explained why they weren't going to let them up to the visitor's deck.

It was eerily silent. A slight breeze rustled through the yellow caution tape on the windows, and the sound it made was the only sound, save for the small chorus of footsteps moving across the floor.

"Here we are, indeedy," Hikaru hmphed as Mokona went Creator in a flare of light. "Can you take us to where he is? This has to be settled now."

But before Creator could answer, there was a burst from the horizon. But instead of being an explosion of fire, or the light that usually carried them to Cephiro, it was a bomb of darkness that swept down over the landscape, swallowing everything beneath that blackness.

"What the hell?" Lantis cursed.

Umi ran to the broken window and watched in horror. She knew this…she knew this…

_Click._

Her dream. This was her dream, coming to life before her eyes.

Except…her dream had always featured Cephiro. Why was the darkness taking Tokyo?

But there was nothing she could do at the moment, nor anyone else there. They simply watched, horrified, as the darkness swelled up to the Tower, yet did not envelope the landmark. It was a buoy floating amidst the expansive ocean, the oasis in the desert. They were in the eye of the hurricane.

Which also meant that they were trapped.

"What happens now?" Hikaru whispered after a tense, silent moment.

"Now you die."

Umi recoiled as though she had been stung. She knew that voice.

Sure enough, Xander appeared beyond the shattered window, floating above the shadows. He was still physically beautiful, it was hard to miss that, but there was nothing at all attractive or appealing about the hungry glare in his cat-like eyes, or the sneer that lay comfortably on his lips. "Greetings, my pitiful adversaries." The greeting was so falsely sweet that Umi could almost taste it, like bitter sugar on her tongue. "Well? What do you think?"

"You're a monster," Fuu said flatly, keeping her temper well within check.

"Tut, tut, such harsh words," he smirked lazily. "I wonder how Cephiro would look with these kinds of, shall we say, renovations?" With a flick of his wrist, he produced magic, and it formed itself into a sphere large enough for all of them to see. An image appeared there.

Cephiro. The crystalline palace of Cephiro.

_Under attack_.

As everyone watched in horror, armies of monsters and men stormed the palace. Clef's protections were holding, though, and the army was standing its ground for the moment. But it was quite clear that it was only a matter of little time before the enemy would stomp the Cephirean forces.

And they saw Lafarga, at the helm of the defenses, giving orders. A cut on his forehead had sent a thin trickle of blood down the side of his face. It was most likely an arrow-wound, and none too serious, but Caldina screamed when she saw it.

"The invasion has been going on for some time now," Xander said, almost cheerfully. "Soon. Very soon. Once I have Cephiro, everything else should fall into my hands with minimal effort." He sighed happily. "I love it when everything goes according to plan. But I thought you might like to watch your precious land fall, and be placed under my control." He turned his attention adoringly to the scene in the viewing-globe, hovering beyond Tokyo Tower's windows.

The battle was fierce, and slowly, the Cephirean forces were losing their ground and losing their morale. Soldier after soldier fell before enemy arrows and magic, and it seemed that all was lost. Xander's forces would storm the castle soon, and with it, conquer Cephiro. They were helpless…

_A bugle call trumpeted across the battlefield._

Everyone on the Tower froze. Even Xander's smug expression shifted to confusion. The soldiers on the field seemed to go into slow motion, turning towards the source of the sudden sound.

An army was approaching the palace at a quick pace. Within moments, it had closed in. Xander's army suddenly found themselves trapped between the Cephireans, exhausted but still holding on, and these newcomers, clad in blue and gold uniforms, and all fresh for the fight.

It clicked for Ferio first. "That's—"

Growling, Xander cast magic, and the image changed, zooming over the army, back to the commander's pavilion at the back, behind the blue and gold-clad army. Sitting in the middle of that kiosk, giving orders at a rapid pace, was the commander.

"Caliana!" Umi gasped.

The Aldarban princess was clad in a slightly-modified version of the uniforms her soldiers were wearing—it had been altered slightly so that there was no mistaking her rank, nor her gender. However, within seconds of watching, there was no doubt among the observers that this young woman was in full control, both of the army on the field and of the officers who scurried around her, delivering the orders to the battlefield and maintaining contact with the Aldarban palace.

Clef realized what was happening first. "The treaty…the mutual defense pact…"

"What does that mean?" Hikaru asked.

"It means," Lantis answered, "that if either of our nations is under threat, the other will come to their aide—military defense, supplies, rebuilding, and the like. Since Cephiro has been invaded…they honored the treaty, and came to help."

In the globe, Caliana stood from her chair. She absently brushed a stray strand of hair back from her face—the rest was tied back into a no-nonsense knot at the nape of her neck, adding to her aura of command. She leaned over the shoulder of one man, who was sitting serenely and seemingly staring off into space. "Give the order," she said, authoritative, but not unkind.

The man's brow furrowed, as he focused on something. Beyond their platform, the army began to move, spurred on by some command that was heard by their ears alone. Caliana wandered back towards her chair, issuing quiet orders to the others around her before sitting back down and leaning back. For the moment, she seemed rather relaxed, and her eyes closed as she sighed.

A young man, brown-haired and blue-eyed, leaned over the back of her chair. "Lady Caliana?" he spoke softly, reaching down to touch her shoulder; it was a simple gesture that spoke of a certain level of familiarity. "It is going well."

She reached up and patted his hand affectionately, another offhanded motion that spoke volumes of intimacy. "Indeed, Kannon. It is." He pulled his hand away, yet remained behind her chair.

Those on the Tower watched this whole exchange. Umi's eyes widened for a moment before she smiled in belated realization. "All right! Way to go, Caliana!" Beside her, Fuu was smiling, and Hikaru actually giggled. Behind them, their friends from Cephiro were celebrating the safety of their nation.

But one person was not at all happy with this new development.

Still hovering in the sky beyond the Tower, above the shadows that had swallowed Tokyo, Xander hunched over, his back to them. "No…no…_NO!_" he roared as he turned back to them, and they all recoiled to see that his eyes had changed, and were now glowing crimson.

And he changed.

His skin seemed to shift and darken before their very eyes, and his body stretched and contorted. Limbs arched towards the sky as an inhuman cry tore from his throat. In the split second before he completely melded into the darkness…his body visibly _shattered_, like breaking glass.

But not for long.

The broken pieces floated in midair for a moment, barely visible, before they suddenly began spinning around each other, sweeping up a whirlwind that swept dark tendrils across the observation deck of Tokyo Tower, where the Cephirean team stood. They all closed their eyes, bracing themselves against the darkness that seemed determined to devour them.

It subsided after what felt like eternity, pulling back out of the window and into the darkness. But as Clef lowered his arms, he instantly became aware that something was horribly, horribly wrong. The others realized it too, within seconds.

"Where are the girls?" Presea yelped, looking around frantically.

The Magic Knights were gone.

And beyond the window, the image in the sphere changed, to show the three girls of legend in a very, very different place, facing the unimaginable…

_o_

_o_

There were…colors.

Colors, everywhere. Every shade of every color imaginable, swirled together into a bizarre sort of scenery that should have been blinding, but was not. The Magic Knights stood amidst this, watching the unfolding development before them with trepidation and drawn swords. They were somehow in their 'mashin-wear,' as Umi called it, the caped armor they wore when riding with their mashin.

This was the space between worlds, where Cephiro and Earth met. And Xander had brought them here, to his hiding spot, to kill them. Their enemy was before them, completing the transformation that had been started on Earth.

Shadows were stretching and reaching towards a nonexistant ceiling, twisting and contorting and taking solid shape into something out of a child's nightmares. Claws grew on long hands, and horns sprouted from a head that towered over them.

Umi clutched her sword with white-knuckled hands. This was…

This was…

Two red eyes snapped open and glared triumphantly down at them.

_Her dream._

It had been Xander in the dream, she had known that. But…was this his true form?

What was happening?

The shadow-face smirked at them. "It is done. My power is complete, and now the Sovereign of Shadow will take all worlds. You cannot stop it." His gaze narrowed in on Umi. "Even you are no longer safe, little Magic Knight."

_No longer…safe? _Umi started, frowning. She vaguely remembered someone—she couldn't remember who—telling her that Xander would not kill her, that he needed her alive. "Why? Why do you say I was safe?" she demanded angrily.

"You still do not know?" he cackled. "Even better. Eliminating the Magic Knights," he said, seeming to let the words roll off of his tongue. "I can think of no happier thing." Magic formed at his hands. "So let's begin."

_o_

_o_

The doors opened, and Caliana strolled in, the very picture of confidence. Several uniformed officers clambored behind her, though she seemed to pay them little immediate attention. Instead, she began giving orders to those behind the officers—namely, the soldiers who were busy carrying in the wounded. Within moments, makeshift hospitals had sprung up all over the building, in corridors, side rooms, and even in the throne room itself.

Once that was done, the Aldarban Princess turned and greeted Lafarga with a bow and a calm smile. "It is good to see you again. I am sorry that we could not get here sooner, but I trust we came in good enough time that crisis was averted."

"I would say so," Lafarga returned as he watched the hustle and bustle around him. "The damage could have been far, far worse. Probably would have been, too."

"I have doctors in my entourage," she said, watching the aforementioned doctors consulting with the Cephirean physicians who had come flying into the throne room. "They will tend to the patients. If you do not mind, I will also help bandage up those less severely wounded." Without waiting for a reply or permission, she turned and went to the first wounded man she saw.

As busy and chaotic as things were at that moment, though, Lafarga found himself pausing to watch young Caliana as she hurried around. She was still in her uniform, though it now bore stains of sweat and blood; she ignored these, and moved from soldier to soldier, without regard for the color of their uniform. Be it the blue and gold of Aldarba, or the red and black of Cephiro, all were nursed equally.

But he noticed something else: she called each of the Aldarban soldiers by name. She had to look at the nametags of many of them, but there were a good number whose names she knew without having to glance. And whether she knew their names offhand or not, for a good majority of them, she was able to mention some personal detail—a family member, a pet, something that had happened recently. One man was a farmer when not in active service, and she knew his specific crop, and asked how the harvest was looking. All this as she moved among them, bandaging wounds, dabbing sweat from brows, or just holding the hands of the frightened.

And he saw how the soldiers responded to her, spoke to her, and watched her as she wandered. Lafarga realized then, somewhat belatedly, that every single person wearing one of those blue and gold uniforms would have gladly thrown their life down on that field—for their Princess.

When the dead of both armies were brought in, she consoled those who wept, Cephirean and Aldarban, yet not grieving herself. Grief was a luxury she could not yet afford; she was the commander of this mission, and the safety of Cephiro, its people, and her own people had to be secured before emotions could be released. But it was obvious that each death was a heavy weight to her.

Lafarga shrugged off his observations with a slight smile, and returned to work, checking with scouts about the possibility of another attack or the whereabouts of any enemies that might have fled.

He did not hear one older man in an Aldarban uniform, who took Caliana's hand as she bandaged an arrow-wound on his leg, and smiled at her. "You, milady, are going to be a wonderful Queen someday."

Around him, numerous men and women in both uniforms nodded their assent.

Caliana smiled, and bowed her head. "Thank you."

After a little longer, she left the remaining wounded in the care of the doctors, and returned to her post as commander, taking a place beside Lafarga amidst both their generals and officers. But they were not very far into creating their plan of action when the viewing globe in the center of the room flared with a purple-black light, and an image appeared in the midst of it.

The Magic Knights. They stood amidst a strange void of color, looking at a monstrous being that seemed to have been borne and bred of the very darkness itself. There was a flurry of confusion as everyone tried to figure out what that was, and the nurses struggled to calm the wounded sitting nearby. Meanwhile, Caliana and Lafarga watched intently.

Tama rushed in then, her arms full of bandages and other assorted medical supplies. She delivered them to whence they were supposed to go, and started towards the door, but stopped by the viewing globe, staring at what was being broadcast there. "What's happening?"

"Trouble," Caliana replied simply.

The maid frowned. Tama had every reason to be concerned, though. Umi had saved her from Xander's palace, bringing her to Cephiro to live safely in the palace. The girl had vowed to serve everyone as payment for taking her in, though everyone insisted that this was not necessary. She owed Umi her very life, she said, and Umi was her first friend—thus her concern was very deeply-rooted.

"What in the name of the Creator…" Caliana murmured.

A moment later, it clicked, and Lafarga's eyes widened. "Xander…"

_o_

_o_

There was no doubt—he wanted them dead. The attacks of magic and claws were quick, deadly, and accurate, chasing the three Earth girls all over the color-filled void. As another attack flew at them, Fuu whirled and whipped out with magic.

"IMASHIME NO KAZE!" she called, and wind swirled about her and her two friends, solidifying into a shield woven from air itself. The dark attack imploded around Fuu's barrier, but it held against that particular offensive.

The next one, though, shattered the shield. Fuu had been holding the protection, and took the brunt of the attack square-on. She flew into Hikaru and Umi, sending the three of them flying backwards and skidding across the invisible ground.

"Fuu!" Umi cried, giving her friend a little shake. The Knight of Windam was struggling valiantly to open her eyes, but she was badly losing the battle. Meanwhile, Xander was attacking again.

Hikaru leapt up. "You miserable…" she spat, raising her sword. Flames shot from the blade as she swung it at his attack, cleaving the dark magic right in two; each half shot around the two other Knights huddled on the ground.

Umi was helping to pull Fuu to her feet, supporting her weight. "You're toying with us."

"I had no idea you were in such a hurry to die," he sneered, preparing another attack.

Fuu's weight was shifted over to Hikaru as Umi straightened up and faced him. "You bastard."

"I ask you again, Umi," Xander taunted, sneering cruelly. "What do you do for your friends? Have you an answer? Or is it true—you're nothing more than the pretty face. Worthless. Helpless. Hopeless—" His jeers were cut short, though, as a blast of water shot right into his face. It did no damage to him in that form, but startled him enough that he stopped in mid-sentence and stared at her.

Umi was standing, one hand extended; tiny tendrils of water swirled around her ovum-gem. And she was smiling—well, smirking probably would have been more accurate. She was the very picture of confidence, and it carried in her voice when she replied, "Let's get this straight. Right now."

Xander opened his mouth to protest, but Umi barrelled right over him.

"I am Ryuuzaki Umi, and I am the Magic Knight of Selece," she announced, not breaking eye-contact with him. "But I have enough _attitude_ for all three of us. And I am perfectly capable of kicking your ass six ways from Saturday, thank you very much."

_o_

_o_

Crowded around the viewing globe in the Cephirean palace, the heads of Cephiro and Aldarba both cheered Umi's proclamation before the real gravity of the situation set in. The Magic Knights were in severe trouble.

"Is there anything we can do?" Caliana asked frantically, one agitated hand tangling through her dark mane in an obviously nervous gesture. "They will be killed if no one intervenes."

It was then that they heard the softest of laughs. There were actually quiet chuckles floating past them, somehow audible over the din around them. Startled, they all turned simultaneously to the source of the sound, and gaped in confusion.

One of the people in the room had the back of a hand pressed to their mouth, _giggling_.

As everyone stared in bewilderment, the person sighed almost _happily_ and turned to them with a smile, eyes sparkling with barely-muted glee. "It's going well, I would say," the person said amiably. "I think it's about time for this little play to have it's finale, wouldn't you agree?"

Then, in a blinding flash of bright blue light, the giggler vanished.

The pieces fell into place, and Lafarga gasped. "It was you…"

_o_

_o_

"How does it feel to lose?" Xander asked, watching them. Another hammering of attacks had taken a lot out of the three Knights, and it was showing. He was toying with them, and he was wearing them down with minimal visible effort.

"There's gotta be a way to beat him," Hikaru hissed.

Umi was trying to think of a plan, but only one phrase kept scrolling through her head, like a track set on repeat: _Open your arms to…open your arms to…open your arms to…open your arms to…_

Why was she thinking of that?

"You're going to die now. Will anyone care?" he asked with a sneer. "Will anyone miss you once I kill you? Your bodies will rot here forever. And no one will care that you're gone—"

"You're wrong!"

Umi's voice cut through the space between them like a trumpet. She staggered to her feet and glared daggers at him. "You're wrong," she repeated, suddenly feeling very brave. "And that's the difference between you and us. No one will miss you—no one mourns the wicked. But when…if _we_ die, there are people who will miss us. Our friends, our families, loved ones…they'll be heartbroken. They'll weep for us. We'll be terribly missed, just like we miss the ones we have lost." She would have stopped there, but the next words sprang from her throat unbidden, and she had no idea what prompted them, but she let them be voiced anyway. "And just like Amaya."

She didn't know what she had just said, but judging by Xander's reaction, it was something important. He reared back at her words like they were a wildfire coming towards him, and snarled, "What do you know about Amaya?"

Feeling empowered suddenly, she took a step forward, unconsciously placing herself between Xander and her fellow Knights. "I don't know who Amaya is. I don't even know anyone with that name. I don't know why I said it. Perhaps you could fill us in? Or maybe someone else could tell us…"

She turned her head just enough to cast a glance back over shoulder. "How about you, _Tama_?"

Behind her, the maid had just faded into sight; she appeared normal enough, still in her charcoal-colored dress and white apron, save for an uncharacteristically sly smile that seemed quite at home on her face. "So you knew all along that I was more than I appeared to be." It was a statement, not a question, as she folded her arms casually across her chest, a vision of confidence. "And yet you trusted me. Why?"

"I trust my senses when they tell me something's up. I knew there was more to you than you let on, but I knew that you were not my enemy," Umi said calmly, not yet turning to face the woman head-on, but still speaking over her shoulder. "I had been told that I would find a friend in enemy territory. And I felt a connection to you right away. So I trusted my instincts, and trusted you."

Tama nodded her approval. "I applaud you, Umi. You are a credit to your title, Magic Knight."

"I know you," Xander cut in. "You were the little bitch Aeric told me of, the traitor who escaped." His aura surged, and shadows erupted from him, reaching towards them like long, languid fingers, to strangle the life from them. "I'll kill you. I'll kill you all!"

But Tama remained as calm as ever, and she began walking forward, towards the Sovereign of Shadow. "That would be quite a feat," she remarked. "You have power, Xander, but even you can't hurt me. After all, it's hard to kill someone," she grinned, "who's already dead."

His red eyes actually widened in the shadow-face, and with an enraged scream he threw an attack of dark magic towards the four women—specifically, at Umi. There was no time to block it, and she was certain she was going to spend her last moment wondering why it seemed so familiar.

But to Umi's amazement, Tama jumped in front of them—and blocked the attack. She didn't know how she cast the darkness aside, nor did she know why the maid could control such power, and it was, truthfully, the last thing on her mind.

More important was the actual action _itself_. It was her dream, sprang to life.

And it wasn't over yet.

_o_

_o_

In the crystalline palace of Cephiro, there was panic. The assembled who were paying specific attention to this fight alternated between staring into the viewing globe, watching the events unfolding before them in horrified fascination, and gazing in bewilderment at the spot where Tama had last stood and then disappeared.

"This is impossible…" Lafarga murmured.

"But it's happening," the Aldarbian general—Kannon—gaped. He had not yet met the legendary warriors himself, but he knew the story, and Caliana's descriptions of the three girls from another world had merely made him more curious. But to see this…well, the legends hadn't covered this. Not by any stretch of the imagination.

"Who is she?" Caliana wondered out loud. The bustle of soldiers and healers around them, coupled with the cries of the wounded and dying, drowned out their frightened, whispered conversation.

Lafarga and Kannon continued to mutter to each other, but Caliana ignored them both now, keeping her attention focused on the Magic Knights in the orb before her. She closed her eyes for a moment, and offered up a prayer to the Deity, said to protect her land.

"_Le'shen akarani ki'itis,_" she whispered, her native tongue. _May you be protected…_

_o_

_o_

"You know," Tama replied easily, ignoring the fact that Xander was rapidly growing more and more agitated, "I really hate wearing my hair up. It's such a hassle. I did out of necessity, of course—couldn't have you recognizing me, could I? I really had to work to hide myself. But if the cat's really jumping out of the bag, then I might as well…"

Her hands moved her to hair—the same braided style she had been sporting at her first meeting with Umi in Xander's sanctum. She pulled out the few pins, and ran her fingers through its full length to free it from the confining braids. In seconds, her long, dark brown mane was loose, hanging down her back in soft waves; it was almost as long as Umi's. "There. That's better." She smirked. "Ringing any bells?"

The shadow-beast that was Xander actually recoiled at the sight of her like that, hissing violently, recognition flaring like hellfires in eyes like embers. "You!" he actually _sputtered_.

Tama smirked.

A pillar of water appeared suddenly, shooting up from the maid's feet and engulfing her entirely. The Magic Knights huddled together, watching with wide eyes. But finally, the column of water vanished, and a form was revealed. She seemed to be curled up in the fetal position, floating in the air, and wrapped up in some sort of pale blue cloth.

"Tama?" Hikaru asked in a strangled voice.

As if the name was a magic word, she moved. She uncoiled herself and stretched her arms over her head. Umi noticed, with sickening realization, that she was now sporting a headpiece featuring two long blue spikes, one on either side of her head. One white-booted foot touched down, followed by the other as the blue cloth—a cape—swept to the ground around her.

This was the person in her dreams: her protector. It had been Tama all along. This was only confirmed as she turned her head. Now Umi knew why seeing Tama's blue eyes had always given her the strangest sense of déjà vu. Tama and the guardian in her dreams were one and the same, with blue eyes that were identical to her own.

Xander answered the question before anyone could even ask it. "Amaya…"

With one fluid movement of a gloved hand, the pale blue cape was thrown back over her shoulder.

Umi suddenly felt faint.

Now she understood why she had felt such a strong connection to Tama—no, not Tama…Amaya. They were connected by their magic, their mashin, their very purpose. Destiny itself.

For Amaya was a Magic Knight, clad in the armor of Selece.

_o_

_o_

If anyone had been on the observation deck of Tokyo Tower at that moment, they would have been wholeheartedly confused. First of all, the shattered window. Secondly, the strange globe-like light hovering just beyond the shattered window. Thirdly, the bizzare image that appeared _in_ the strange globe-like light hovering just beyond the shattered window. And finally, the people _watching_ the bizzare image that appeared in the strange globe-like light hovering just beyond the shattered window.

You get the idea.

"It can't be…it can't be!" Clef choked, having gone a few shades paler—quite a feat for him.

"Who is she?" Ferio asked, while Caldina was screaming and beating people over the head with her fan, demanding answers and insisting that if she did not get answers, there would be hell to pay.

"A Magic Knight?" Takeshi asked at the same time.

"Selece?" Presea queried, raising her voice to be heard over the cacophony of voices all asking the same damn questions at the same damn time. Finally, Clef raised his staff; there was a loud crack, and everyone fell silent.

"Amaya…_is_ a Magic Knight. Of Selece," he said, his voice trembling only the slightest bit. He was thankful that no one had been looking in his direction when the name had been mentioned in the first place—he had very nearly dropped dead of a heart attack on the spot. "I've had suspicions about that girl from the moment I saw her—something didn't feel right about her. But I never guessed…_this_." There was no need to clarify what 'this' meant. It was fairly clear.

Ascot, Lantis, and Ferio had refocused entirely on the fight being broadcast to them. Not surprising, considering that their three lady-loves were engaged in the fight for their lives. But the others weren't satisfied with the lack of answers.

"But…but isn't Umi the Knight of Selece?" Caldina demanded shrilly, pointing at the images.

"She is. Both are," Clef said faintly, turning his attention away from his startled and confused comrades and back towards the fight that lay between worlds. He swallowed hard. _Amaya…_

_o_

_o_

The void between worlds might have been a painting, catching several people in the midst of a terrible moment. There could very well have been an invisible line drawn down the center of the space. On one side, a beast made of shadow hovered, snarling. On the other, three girls wearing the caped armor and ovum-gems that marked them as the legendary Magic Knights of Cephiro, each clutching a sword.

In between them, right smack dab in the middle of No Man's Land, stood the object of all their attentions. Amaya, a Knight of Selece, seemed to pay no heed to Xander, but instead watched the three Earth-girls intently, waiting for them to react. Her expression was neutral; only her eyes betrayed anxiety, even across the gap that separated her from the other girls.

Umi, Fuu, and Hikaru each were crouched into fighting posture and holding their swords in front of them, but none moved, either to attack or to lower their weapons. They did not speak, and seemed indecisive, as though individually weighing their options at that moment. Did they trust her simply because she appeared as one of them…or was she an enemy…or what else? She didn't seem to be offering any immediate answers.

Even Xander had paused in his attacking; it seemed that he himself was interested in what would come of this new revelation. How would this shocking meeting come to an end? Maybe, he pondered, if he was lucky, they would all just kill each other so he could watch. Interesting…

But no one attacked. After that tense moment, Umi straightened up, letting her sword hang limply at her side. And she walked forward, stepping away from the relative safety of her fellow Knights and strolling straight up to the mysterious Amaya. There was no fear or reservation tainting Umi's eyes or expression. Only questions, and a slight desperation for answers.

When she was face-to-face with Amaya, she simply stared, not speaking for a long moment. Twin pairs of cerulean eyes bore into each other, each silently demanding something from the other.

Finally, Umi broke the silence in a low, even voice. "I already knew you were more than you seemed, and you don't seem overly surprised by that. So why did you lie to me? Why have you been haunting my dreams like that? I know it was you. And what else have you been doing around me? Were you Tama so you could spy on me?"

"Not at all," Amaya actually chuckled. "I needed to make sure you were safe, and try to let you know what you needed to do. Granted, they made the whole 'safe' thing a bit of a challenge, and I had to resort to a few tactics I otherwise might not have. I do apologize for frightening you like that." As she spoke, her blue eyes lit up, glowing with an almost phosphorous light.

_Click._

A few more pieces of the puzzle that was Amaya fell into place, and Fuu jumped into the conversation. "You were the one who possessed Umi," she actually growled, leaping to her friend's side. "You kept taking control of her!"

"But if that's true," Hikaru pointed out, joining her fellow Knights, "then you're also the one who stopped her from skewering Kagura." She ignored the fact that Umi winced. "And got rid of the shadow…thingie that was trying to kill us." Typical Hikaru—such a scientific explanation.

A nod. "Indeed."

"You…bitch!" Xander spat angrily, and shadows flared as he gathered his extensive magic to him. "You're too late. You said it yourself, you're already dead, Amaya. There's nothing you can do to stop me! This is the end! It's over!" He cackled like a madman, pulling more magic.

"You're right," Amaya said calmly. "There isn't anything I can do." And she turned away from him, ignoring his roars of protest and the magic he gathered to himself, and instead focused her attention on Umi. She reached a hand out to the younger Knight of Selece, and asked softly, "Are you afraid, Umi?"

Umi hesitated before replying honestly. "I don't know. I don't know if I should be." She paused. "I never got the last part of the message in the dream. What was it? What were you trying to tell me?"

Amaya bowed her head and intoned, "Open your arms to eternity." It was the same voice from Umi's dreams, merely confirming what she already knew—Amaya was her protector.

"Open your arms to eternity…" Umi repeated. "What does that mean?"

Amaya held her hand out again. "I can show you…"

Umi reached out to her, hesitated, then placed her hand in Amaya's.

The world went dark.

Umi closed her eyes as the image played out before her.

_Another explosion rocked the palace down to its very foundations._

_With a scream, Amaya tumbled to the floor from the force of the shaking. But she was back on her feet again in an instant, and running again. The hallways and corridors were empty, void of any other living beings, save for the one, and she wouldn't have stopped for anyone anyway._

_I have to protect the Pillar, __she repeated over and over again in her mind. I have to protect the Pillar. It was her mantra, and at this point it was basically what kept her going. She had been running for what felt like eons by now, and her legs felt like they had turned to paper. But she would crawl if she had to, drag herself on her hands and knees. Anything. She had an oath to fill._

_Finally, and not a moment too soon, the door she had been sprinting towards came into view. She didn't slow, though, but rather pushed herself, and sped up. With her last burst of strength, she plowed into the doors. They gave beneath the force, and opened soundlessly on well-oiled hinges._

_She could still hear the explosions._

_"It's a massacre!" Amaya panted, hunching over to try and catch her breath. The building chose that moment to quake again, and she was once again thrown to the ground. But this time, she simply sat there, on her knees, gasping desperately for air._

_"I know," was the soft reply. "And it will not stop until he has what he wants."_

_"Nothing is working against him," she went on in a rush. "He tramples our attacks, our offences, like they were nothing. Our armies are scattered like children's toys. Nothing is effective! It's like," she paused for a breath, "It's like he has no weaknesses!"_

_"Perhaps he doesn't," he replied._

_"No!" she screamed._

_"He is powerful. Very powerful," he went on. "I do not think he can be stopped."_

_"There has to be a way!" she cried, running one hand through her dark hair. The blood stains stood out, burning a painful red on the white of her gloves. She had been in battle; she had seen the wounded, the dead, and the dying. And she had seen many of her friends fall into those categories, amongst those numbers. "I won't let this happen!" Angry, heartbroken tears welled in her eyes; she knew crying wouldn't help the situation, but she couldn't help it._

_"You have tried," he tried to placate her, though it was in vain. She would not be soothed._

_"He wouldn't listen," her face fell into her hands. "He just wouldn't listen to me. I tried to tell him…why wouldn't he listen…" Amaya sank to her knees, feeling the empty pain of defeat, a defeat that would mean a world was doomed. "It's my fault…"_

_There was a minute of silence, before he spoke again. "There might be a way…"_

_Her head snapped up, eyes wide and bright with tears. "What?"_

_"It will require great sacrifice…"_

_She actually crawled towards him, her voice strangled and desperate as she pleaded. "Tell me! Whatever it is, I'll do it, I'll do anything, just tell me!"_

_It took but a few brief moments to explain. In those few minutes, her world shattered and crashed down around her. And there was silence once again as she processed the information in her mind._

_"Do you understand?" he asked._

_She nodded, then paused. "I have a request…"_

_"Yes?" Quickly, she made her wishes, and was assured they would be granted. "Anything else?"_

_"Tell him," she replied. "And tell him I'm sorry."_

_A moment later, she was alone in the room._

_Biting her lip, Amaya gripped the sword tightly in both hands. The instrument of her death, and the salvation of thousands. And now, with this one loose end tied up, she was free to carry out her sworn oath. She would protect this world, protect this land, and protect all of the people in it._

_She allowed herself one moment. There was so much she hadn't been able to do, so much she had wanted to say, but never took the time or allowed herself the words._

_And now…_

_And now…_

_It was all over. Too late._

_And they would all be together again, only in a different place._

_It would be short, blessedly short. Shorter than theirs had been. She knew that for a fact. She had held one of her closest friends as she died. The blood on her clothes, her skin, her hands—that was their blood. Very little of it was hers. The blood of her closest friends was on her hands, both figuratively and literally. That was how she saw it, anyway._

_But all sins would be atoned for in a moment._

_She raised the sword, and aimed the point, still clutching it desperately with both hands to keep it steady. She could already feel her courage slipping away, undermining her resolve. Best to do it quickly, before all was lost._

_Loud voices thundered in the corridor. Someone had gotten into the palace. There was no time. She had to protect Cephiro, and protect the Pillar._

_"Sword, bear the taint of thy master's life," she murmured, not quite sure where those words came from. "to protect that which is held dear. And to whom the burden falls in the future…" Amaya readied the blade, "…I'm sorry…"_

_The door exploded open, and she heard a shout…_

Umi's eyes snapped open, and she gasped, jerking her hand back as though she had been burned.

Amaya watched her carefully, nothing but sympathy in her blue eyes. "Do you understand?"

A nod. "I—I understand." She looked down at the Escudo sword in her hands, and sighed. "There really isn't any easy way. There's never a way to win without sacrifice, is there?" Her voice broke on the last word, and she quickly trailed off into silence.

Umi turned back to Hikaru and Fuu, both of whom were watching silently, with questions written plainly in their expressions. But she didn't say anything. She simply smiled at them before turning and walking towards Xander, whose magic was still swelling. He meant to destroy everything with this, she was certain. So it was now or never.

Fuu suddenly seemed to realize what was going to happen, and she cried out, dropping her sword as she dove forward and grab Umi's shoulders. "You don't have to," she hiccuped, already breaking down. "There has to be another way." Hikaru joined them in a massive group hug.

Of the three, though, it was Umi who was the calmest. "Shhhhh…it'll be all right now. Make sure you get out of here, all right? Shhh…it's okay, don't worry. I'm not going to let him destroy our worlds."

After a moment, she released them and gathered her sword from where she had dropped it a moment before. With one more smile at them, she turned and marched straight up to Xander.

As she moved, Amaya fell into step behind her. "Forgive me, I know it's really none of my business, but…you never gave him an answer, did you?" Silence met her question. "Or is it possible that you don't even know yourself?"

"Something like that," Umi replied softly.

"Hmm…" Amaya made a strange, thoughtful sound, but said nothing else.

"IT'S TIME!" Xander screeched, as the first wave of his attack was unleashed. It swept across the plane, a vicious gale that nearly floored Umi. But she stood her ground, and forced herself to not run back to her friends when she heard their panicked cries at the attack.

Now or never. It was time.

It was strange, though. It was always said that the answers came at the end. But she had no answers. Merely questions and unresolved business that belied how peaceful she really felt. She was frightened, but she was not afraid, if such a thing were possible.

_Et circa horam nonam clamavit Jesu voce magna dicens, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachtani?"_

Xander loomed over her as she raised her sword, fully prepared for what she had to do. Behind her, she could hear Hikaru and Fuu sobbing. Amaya was silent, but she could actually feel the formidable presence of the deceased Knight of Selece, waiting for what she already knew was coming.

She remembered when Fuu had nearly given her life to protect Ferio, and wondering if she would ever have that kind of courage, to be a willing sacrifice for those she held dear. And now she knew. She looked up at the monster before her, and smiled. "I'm not afraid anymore."

Amaya watched with feigned indifference, her arms folded tightly across her chest. Her hands balled into fists at Umi's words, and she remembered…but it had to be done. There were no options.

_And at the ninth hour…_

The sounds melted away into silence. Umi might as well have been alone.

She felt alone. Was this how Amaya had felt?

Words sprang unbidden from her lips; she had never heard them before, but they felt right, and dropped into the quiet around her. "Sword of Escudo, bear the taint of thy master's life to protect that which is held dear." A solitary tear escaped and traced a thin, damp line down her face, but she ignored it. "And to whom the burden falls in the future…I'm sorry…"

_Jesus cried out with a loud voice saying…_

She flipped the sword in her hand and positioned it.

It was at that moment that Xander seemed to realize _exactly_ what she was doing. There was a shriek of rage that pierced even the silence around her as he dove towards her, intent on stopping her.

She knew what she had to do. He knew she knew, and when it was done, he was finished.

But a shield of water enveloped her, casting the demon aside. Amaya's magic, she knew. Protecting her yet again, and helping her to protect. There was no choice anymore. Umi understood that now; it was a shock to realize just how much she had grown up.

Behind her (though Umi did not see it), Fuu was losing her internal battle, and started to move forward, to run to Umi—but a hand touched her shoulder. She could see that it wasn't Hikaru or the newcomer, Amaya. So who…

"Don't worry," a gentle female voice whispered from behind her. "It will be all right in the end." Fuu couldn't answer; she bit her lip, and held herself back, not wanting to see, yet utterly unable to look away from what she knew was coming.

Interposed between her friends and the Devil himself, Umi closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

_My God, my God…_

Gathering the last few ragged shreds of her courage, and whispering a last, silent goodbye, Ryuuzaki Umi, the Magic Knight of Selece, plunged her sword up to the hilt in in her own chest.

_…why hast thou forsaken me?_

_o_

_o_

_o_

**AN: **I'm sitting here, smiling like an idiot, waiting for the response to this. Not much else to say, except that **THE STORY IS NOT OVER YET**! There are still a couple more things to accomplish, and I do not feel I have yet fully turned the MKR world on its ear. _That_ comes in Chapter 16, I believe. Oh yes, and that little bit of italicized text is from the Bible, new Testament. It sounds pretty if said out loud.

Oh yeah, quick translation note: _Amaya_ means "night rain." I thought it fit and sounds pretty.

I was going to do a Review Talk for this chapter…but I didn't. Sorry. _:grin_

**TO EVERYONE IN GENERAL: **Another collective, ginormous thank-you to everyone who has taken the moment to drop me a review. Your enthusiasm, compliments, suggestions, and _patience_ mean a lot to me. They're the reason this little story has come as far as it has. And truthfully, it made me kinda happy that nobody suspected _Tama_. Or if anyone did, they didn't mention it to me, and that makes me happy. I've been waiting eagerly to spring this little twist all fic. I'm actually quite proud of it. Hope you all liked it!

**NEXT CHAPTER: **In the aftermath of Umi's sacrifice, a lot of stuff happens (why, yes, I graduated magna cum laude from Vague University), and Amaya shares her story, as well as Xander's. Looks like it'll be another long one. See ya then!


	15. Amaya

**AN: **Hi again! I return with the next installment. Another massive thank you to all my wonderful reviewers! Also, we broke the **ONE-HUNDRED-AND-FIFTY REVIEW MARK!** In honor of that, there's another little special something on the end of the fic. Hope you like it. Also, I want to offer another thank you—thanks to all of you, this little story has broken **one thousand views**. I cannot tell you how much that means to me and how awesome it is. Thank you so much!

Fair warning—this chapter is heavy on dialogue and explanation. Sorry if that's not your cup o' tea, but this is where I lay out just about everything. The whole story gets explained. I thought that last chapter was going to be the monster one, but this chapter is officially the longest one I have ever written. It is truly THE BEAST, insofar as my own stories are concerned. _Italics _are flashbacks, for your reference.

I don't own Magic Knight Rayearth. I do claim my original characters, though.

_o_

_o_

_o_

**Amaya**

_"I know of your devotion to Cephiro," the Creator intoned, "and that is why I tell you of this."_

_"I'll do anything," Amaya said desperately. "I am a Magic Knight. I will protect the Pillar at all costs. Tell me what I have to do!" She belatedly tried to relax her hands, but they refused to uncurl themselves from tightly clenched fists._

_"To seal him as he is now would require a massive amount of power," Creator said, "more than you have. More than even I have. But there is a way. However," here, he actually hesitated, "it will require a great sacrifice to achieve."_

_"What kind of sacrifice?" she asked._

_"…the greatest one you can make," Creator replied softly. "Do what you will."_

_After a moment, the pieces clicked painfully into place._

_She knew the potential of magic in death, and she knew of the power that lay dormant in blood._

_One life to save thousands…_

_But it could be a quick death, she realized. Quicker than theirs had been._

_She straightened herself, squaring her shoulders to bear the weight. "I have a request."_

_"Yes?" Creator asked._

_"Please…please take them to safety. All of them…" Amaya asked, willing herself not to cry. "They won't be safe here. Please find a safe place for them. And…" she paused before asking, "a seal can be broken, can it not?"_

_"It can."_

_"Then another will someday follow me."_

_"Most assuredly."_

_"Then here is my second wish, and I will sign this contract with my own blood."_

_As the Creator left her, Amaya desperately hoped that she had done the right thing…_

**I wish it didn't have to end like this.**

**There was still so much to do. My family…my beloved…I never wanted to leave you.**

**I am so sorry.**

**I never wanted to die like that.**

**But I swore an oath. I lived to protect the Pillar, to protect Cephiro. I had to do it.**

**And now another falls the same way.**

**I am so sorry.**

**I never wanted to die like this.**

**_I didn't want to die…_**

_o_

_o_

It was like a scene out of a horror movie. The heroine sacrificing herself to save the others.

But this was not a movie, no matter how desperately Fuu wished it was. This was reality.

And that was one of her dearest friends.

All she saw was red and blue and red and eyes that stared without seeing and stained armor and long hair swirling around Umi as she fell limply to the ground, her sword jutting from her chest. She lay there, not moving, not breathing. And there was red, red, red, crimson red staining blue.

Xander flew at the body, and for a terrible moment, Fuu was afraid that it had been for naught, that whatever Umi had been trying to had failed, and her life had been extinguished in vain. But unbeknownst to her, a far greater power was at work.

Xander's claws passed right through the lifeless body.

He pulled back, staring at hands that suddenly appeared to be dissolving into smoke. His expression became bewildered, and he tried again. But this time, he couldn't even reach her. The long, sharp claws were starting to arch backwards, as though being pulled by some unseen vacuum. His entire being seemed to be dissolving into fog and curving towards a point behind him.

Wind began moving then, harsh in force, and it was powerful enough that Hikaru and Fuu clung to each other and braced themselves against it as it tore at their hair and clothes. Their capes flew around them, threatening to drag them along for the ride.

Panic overwhelmed his hideously dark features, and he made one more attempt at Umi's body, but this time, it seemed that the vacuum had had enough, and he was hurled backwards, dissolving entirely into the strange dark gray mist as he swirled into whatever it was, reminiscent of the way water spins into a tornado draining out of a bathtub. All throughout, there was sound, deafening and terrifying. Xander's howls of rage and panic and the screams of the wind and twin female shrieks that Fuu eventually realized belonged to her and Hikaru.

And through it all, Amaya stood silent and stoic, only watching. She seemed not to notice the gale around her, but merely watched Xander. And just before he vanished, she whispered one question that echoed across everything else. "What have you become?"

His face disappeared last, revealing what looked like a tiny hole in the color-filled void that was the space between their worlds. As they stared at that small black hole, streaks of red began to slash across it; they were like lightning bolts in shape and velocity, and criss-crossed over it until it was entirely covered in crimson and faded from sight.

Red. Like blood.

Umi's blood, Fuu recognized belatedly as a few painful pieces locked into place.

And it all went frighteningly silent.

Xander was gone. Hikaru and Fuu still knelt on the ground, huddled together and clinging to each other desperately for safety and for comfort. The other Knight of Selece, Amaya, stood apart from them, halfway between them and Umi's body.

And Ryuuzaki Umi, twenty-one years old, the Knight of Selece…was dead, by her own hand.

Then Amaya spoke…smiling from ear to ear. "Well, that's done!" she cheered. "Well done, girls!"

Hikaru staggered to her feet and wheeled on the woman in blue, uncharacteristic fury in her tear-filled eyes. "YOU!" she screamed, diving at Amaya for lack of a better target. She was stunned almost out of her anger, though, when she passed right through the woman, ending up splayed face down on the ground behind her. She didn't get up right away, but curled there, sobbing.

"It won't do you any good to be angry with me," Amaya said loftily. "But I can assure you that everything is going to be all right now. Xander's gone. It's okay now."

"Liar," Hikaru hiccupped, her voice hoarse and raspy. "I don't believe you. You've done nothing but lie to us…I don't believe you…I can't believe you. You're a liar…"

"That's your choice, but you have my word," Amaya breezed on. She wandered over to Umi and regarded the unmoving body for a moment. "Hmm…let's see…this just won't do." She wrapped a corner of her cape around her hand and gripped the hilt of Umi's sword. A slight blue glow surrounded her hand, and whatever she was doing permitted her to hold the sword long enough to draw it from Umi. The blade was crimson, and Amaya regarded it thoughtfully for a moment before dropping it haphazardly to the side. Then she tapped her chin thoughtfully, once again studying the still form. "Let's see…it looks like I'm going to need a bit of help with this…"

The light bulb was almost visible, clicking on over Amaya's head. She turned and skipped over to Fuu, who hadn't moved since Umi's suicide. The Knight of Windam was standing ramrod straight, with both hands clenched tightly over her mouth; she was shaking and sobbing, staring at Umi's body with wide, terrified eyes. She barely seemed to notice Amaya until the deceased Knight was standing right in front of her, _smiling_ at her.

"Hi. Fuu, right?" Amaya said casually, as though discussing the weather. "Listen, I really need you to help me out with this, okay?" Fuu didn't move, didn't even seem to register the words. Irritation crossed Amaya's pretty features. "Hello, I'm talking to you! Can you help me out? This won't take long. All you have to do is—HEY!"

Amaya jerked back, and started doing a strange hopping dance backwards, her cape hovering out behind her; it seemed as though someone had grabbed the cloth and was pulling on it, dragging Amaya backwards as well. After they'd gone a few feet, a second person faded into sight.

Another woman, this one bearing a long auburn ponytail that swung behind her with her movements. And she was wearing the armor of…Windam? When she turned, her green eyes flashed angrily at the one she was dragging.

"Michiko, what are you doing?" Amaya whined.

"Amaya, I thought we'd discussed the concept of tact before. What the hell is wrong with you?" the newcomer chastised her. "Could you have a little sensitivity? The girl just stabbed herself, in front of her friends, and you think they're okay with that?"

While Amaya complained about a lack of trust, the auburn-haired girl in Windam's armor walked over to Fuu, who still hadn't moved. Her expression softened as she reached out and took Fuu's hands, pulling them away from her mouth and holding them gently. "Fuu? Hello. My name is Michiko, and it seems you and I have a few things in common, yes?" Her voice was smooth, calm, with a thread of real sadness running through it. Sympathy.

"You're…you're…" Fuu managed to stutter.

Michiko nodded. "Windam's Knight. I apologize for Amaya. She is a marvelous Knight, but she has no manners whatsoever." There was moaning from the peanut gallery, which Michiko masterfully ignored. "But she was right—we do need your help."

"For what?" Fuu asked, her voice trembling violently.

"To save Umi," Michiko said gently.

There was a pause before Fuu spoke again. "What do I have to do?"

"What the Knights of Windam do best," Michiko began walking backwards, keeping Fuu's hands firmly clasped in her own to pull the younger Knight along with her as they moved towards Umi's body.

"What's that?"

Michiko smiled. "Heal."

Amaya had stopped complaining, and had instead moved over to Umi, rearranging the body carefully. The younger Knight of Selece was laid out on her back, her arms folded on her stomach, head back and eyes closed; her face was pale and completely serene, like she was merely taking a nap. She looked like a princess in a fairy tale, waiting for the Prince to come and awaken her with a kiss. But the princesses in fairy tales weren't wearing blood-stained armor or gloves, and they certainly didn't have a thin trickle of blood running from the corner of their mouth.

A kiss would not awaken her. Nothing could awaken her.

When Michiko moved Fuu in front of her, the girl balked and tried to back away in sheer terror, but the older Knight stopped her and gently pushed her along. "We need you to do this. Please. For Umi."

Fuu nodded, swallowing hard and fighting off the nausea that threatened to drown her. She held out trembling hands, and whispered, "Iyashi no Kaze!" Her magic came forth in green winds that swept around Umi, and in mere seconds, there was no sign of a wound or blood on Umi. She looked to be sleeping, save for the fact that her chest did not rise and fall with breath.

The minute the magic faded, Fuu lost her battle for self control. She wheeled around, sobbing out loud, and ran right into Michiko. This time, Michiko simply put her arms around Fuu and let her cry. "Shh, it's all right now. Your part is done, little one. Thank you. It will be all right now."

As she cradled the hysterical girl, she turned to Amaya, who was standing beside the body. "Where in the world is Sachi? She should be here by now."

"Who knows?" Amaya sighed. "I'm really not sure it was the best idea to entrust her with this. I mean, you know how she is! For all we know, she might have forgotten all about it!"

"I know," Michiko commented. "And you two are so frighteningly similar."

Before Amaya could retort to that, there was a trace of motion as yet another new person faded into view. No one was really surprised to see this one in the crimson armor of Rayearth himself. "Sorry I'm late. Took me a minute to find her," the newcomer—Sachi, it seemed her name was—apologized. Her short black hair bobbed around her face as she walked briskly towards Michiko.

"You had better have it," the Green Knight said threateningly, releasing Fuu and turning her full attention towards her fellow Knight. Fuu scampered over to where Hikaru was just getting back up and huddled with her friend on the floor, watching the proceedings apprehensively.

"Of course I got it," Sachi huffed, holding out clasped hands. "I'm lazy most of the time, but I always come through when it's important. You know that. So who's going to do it?"

"I am," Amaya replied instantly. "I'm the only one who can." She reached out towards Sachi. "Selece will anchor me. I'll take it." Sachi nodded, and opened her hands.

There was a bright blue globe of light floating just above her gloved palms. She moved her hands a tiny bit, and the sphere moved into Amaya's waiting hands. She then moved towards Umi and knelt down beside the body.

Michiko and Sachi stepped over beside Hikaru and Fuu. "That little light," Michiko explained, "is Umi's soul. It left her body after her death, naturally. Sachi was waiting for it, so when it arrived, she was able to take it and bring it here."

"What're you going to do with it?" Hikaru hiccupped.

Sachi smiled and patted her counterpart on the shoulder. "Amaya's going to save her."

An explosion of blue light cut off any further conversation as all attention went rushing towards the source of it. Amaya was kneeling beside Umi, holding the small blue globe—Umi's soul—cupped between her hands. The floor beneath her was afire with that cerulean light, casting an eerie shadow across her face. A strong current of air shot upwards, catching her hair and clothing and making them dance on the arms of the wind.

She seemed to murmur something to herself before reaching down and letting Umi's soul fall from her hands into Umi's chest, right at the level of her heart. Then she held her now-empty hands out at shoulder-level over Umi's body, parallel to the ground. She spoke words that no one could hear, and the glow swept over her and Umi.

For a long moment, it remained like that.

Then the light exploded, a blinding flash of azure that caused everyone else to shield their eyes.

When it faded, and everyone could see again, Amaya rose to her feet and staggered away from Umi. "It's done," she said wearily. "Selece helped me. They're rejoined now." She turned a weak smile to the younger two Knights. "Go on, she should wake up soon."

Hikaru and Fuu didn't need to be told twice. They sprinted to Umi's side, shaking her shoulders and trying desperately to get a reaction. They called to her, barely daring to hope that what Amaya had just told them was true. People didn't just come back from the dead…

Then again, there wasn't supposed to be any such thing as ghosts, either…

So they waited, breath caught in throats and eyes upon their friend's face.

Both Hikaru and Fuu jumped a mile when Umi's chest suddenly heaved upwards, and several, raspy, sputtering coughs escaped her. Her entire body began to tremble violently as breath after breath of air shoved its way down into her lungs, forcing life back into her. And finally, after what seemed eternities upon eons, Umi's eyes slowly fluttered open.

Her blue eyes were glassy and confused, and didn't seem to focus in on anything in particular right away. Her breathing was short and shallow for the first moments, but finally, the rising and falling of her chest slowed and evened out, and the glazed look faded from her eyes as she narrowed in on the worried, tearful faces of Hikaru and Fuu hovering over her in a panic.

"Fuu? Hi…ka…ru?" she whispered in a raspy voice.

And the Knight of Selece was immediately engulfed in a tight group hug, sandwiched between her two best friends. She made a tiny squeaky noise as she was…well, _glomped_ was the best word for the enthusiastic way they clamped her between them.

Umi's face was visible over Fuu's shoulder, and anyone who had looked upon her in that moment would've seen the tears running freely down her face, and the strange, faraway look in her eyes, as though she was focusing on some distant point, a star that no one else could see.

"Umi…what happened?" Fuu asked, pulling back and shaking her friend's shoulders desperately. "Are you okay? Can you even hear me?"

After a moment, Umi spoke softly, her voice clear and distant. "I saw it…beautiful…" Her head lulled against Hikaru's shoulder, and she sighed. "So beautiful…" No one dared ask what it was that she had seen that was so breathtaking.

She sighed again, then looked up at her friends with those strangely knowing eyes that sent chills down their spines. "Can we go home now? Please? Or back to Cephiro? I want to go to Cephiro. Please?"

It took a moment to arrange themselves before they were back on their feet, with Hikaru and Fuu supporting Umi's weight by slinging her arms over their shoulders. Her legs were surprisingly steady, but her balance was horribly thrown, and it took an effort to keep her upright.

"Amaya!"

That was Michiko's voice, sharp and panicked, and the three younger Knights turned to look at their counterparts. The scene was surprisingly similar: Amaya had crumpled, nearly falling to the ground, Michiko and Sachi were supporting her. The difference, though, was that Amaya was partially _transparent_.

Sachi, holding onto one of her arms, seemed to be scolding her. "You used too much of yourself, you moron! You know what happens if you push too hard, and now look at you, you idiot…"

"I know," Amaya said softly, looking a little sheepish. "I'm sorry…but it was enough to help Umi wake up, so it was worth it…she's okay now." She smiled at her younger counterpart. "Right, Umi?"

Umi nodded. "I'm fine. Just…tired."

"You died," Michiko said bluntly. "That'll take a lot out of you." Her tone was serious, but her eyes were sparkling, and Fuu had the suspicion that she was simply trying to lighten the mood a bit.

"Is he gone?" Hikaru asked, looking around.

Amaya nodded, her smile fading; she looked so tired, and far older than she had merely moments ago. "Yes, little one. He's gone." She seemed to fade even a little more, as more of the color-void behind her because visible through her torso.

"You can't be so _reckless_!" Sachi admonished. "Look at you! You won't be able to stay visible for much longer! You gave too much. Honestly, Amaya…" But there was that underlying thread of concern that strung through her words. Her gaze turned to Michiko. "Here, help me."

They both gripped Amaya's hands and closed their eyes.

"Hey, don't," Amaya shook her head. "You don't have to…" But her protests seemed to fall on deaf ears, and a tiny glow surrounded all three of them. Slowly, Amaya's form became more solid until she seemed completely normal. She stood on her own then, looking at her opaque hands, then turning a frown on her two companions. "I said no. I would've recovered just fine by myself."

"Ungrateful liar. Can't have you dragging all over the place," Michiko huffed.

The beginnings of the argument were stopped when they realized that their younger counterparts were not only back on their feet, but watching them intently and with so small amount of apprehension.

Amaya broke the silence first. "You're wondering how you can help Umi in the same way, right?"

Fuu and Hikaru nodded, while Umi slumped unceremoniously between them, with no small amount of chagrin written clearly on her face.

"Well, just link up," Michiko said. "It should be instinctive."

The two younger girls looked blank before they turned and looked at Umi. They didn't seem to do anything, but a glow surrounded the three of them, and within a moment, Umi was standing upright, if a tad bit wobbly, between her two friends. All three of them looked exhausted, though.

"Now," Michiko said firmly. "I think we should go back to Cephiro. I'm sure there are people at the palace waiting for you—or they will be, if the Creator would be good enough to indulge us mortals." That last was said towards the proverbial sky (as there was no sky, nor a ground, simply colors).

"Why don't you three meet them there?" Sachi suggested brightly. Now that the imminent danger had passed, the three deceased Knights seemed far more calm. "You should have enough left in you to pull yourselves out of here, yes?" At their panicked expressions, she went on, "You three have more power than you think. Use that power. Work together."

"It's you three. You're Magic Knights. That alone tells us that you'll definitely be all right. We'll see you later!" Amaya chirped. And the three _disappeared_.

"W-wait!" Fuu yelped, but they were already gone.

The three turned to each other. Green, blue, and crimson eyes shifted gazes worriedly. It seemed that perhaps their predecessors were putting too much faith in them, and in their abilities as Magic Knights. They couldn't just zap themselves out of there, could they?

And just as soon as the panic had set in, the strangest feeling of serenity washed over the three girls of legend. Without speaking or otherwise communicating, their hands found each others' as they stood in an all-too-familiar circle, facing each other. Small smiles replaced nervous grimaces, and they closed their eyes and let their heads bow, each trusting the other two implicitly to help pull them through as they fell into a rapport and began to draw on their power—what made them Magic Knights.

None of them really knew what they were doing. They simply focused on their wish, to go back to Cephiro and the safety and comfort of familiar faces and familiar surroundings. Their friends would hopefully be there by now, waiting for them.

With their eyes closed, all they saw was the flare of whitest light that enveloped them, and felt a tug they knew all too well, the pull of transporting, transcending worlds and dimensions. The wind snapped by them fiercely, but it had no effect on them.

_You're Magic Knights._

Amaya's words. Amaya had been right.

_You'll definitely be all right._

_o_

_o_

On Tokyo Tower, the mood had shifted quite rapidly from disbelief, to anger and grief, to amazement, and finally to blessed relief. The Cephireans, plus Kagura and Takeshi, had witnessed the entire thing in Xander's viewing globe. At Umi's sacrifice, Kagura and Caldina had promptly burst into tears, while the rest stared spellbound, unable to look away.

The image had faded at the moment of Xander's death, only to be recreated by none other than the Creator himself. A beam of light had been produced from his forehead, and the revival had been visible to them. The relief was palatable. The girls were safe.

But the presence of the other three Magic Knights, the predecessors to their three girls, left all of them extremely troubled, especially considering Amaya's deceit and the way that they had intentionally led their successors into this kind of danger. They knew that their legendary girls were powerful, capable fighters, who could defend themselves by force or by wit—but it went without saying that anyone who not only intentionally lured them into that kind of danger, but enticed one of them to nearly die for the cause…and they had been helpless. Utterly, utterly helpless, through the entire thing.

The Cephireans were angry. _Very_ angry.

Caldina's hands were gripping her fan so hard that she was trembling. "That…she…oooooh…" Standing at the broken window, Lantis had not yet spoken aloud, those his eyes said volumes. Furthermore, his all-too-steady hand had yet to move from the hilt of his sword. Ferio's teeth were grinding, and he was shaking. Presea was yelling. Ascot's hands clenched and unclenched at his sides, his face bright red behind his long bangs.

The Master Mage turned his attention to the Creator. "I think we should return to Cephiro."

Fluffball didn't need to be told twice. The yellow jewel on his forehead began to glow, and they were whisked away, back to the palace from whence they came. And through it all, no one noticed the strange, strange expression on Clef's face throughout the whole of the ordeal…

_o_

_o_

"Where are they? Where are they?" Caldina demanded loudly. The girls weren't there yet, and it was making the Chizetan dancer unbelievably antsy; she was running all over the throne room, batting people on the head with her fan if they were in her way.

Ferio stepped forward, at risk of life and limb, to try and calm her down, in spite of the fact that his own nerves were busily doing Riverdance. "Caldina, just calm down—"

**_SMACK!_**

Caldina's fan made loud, solid contact with Ferio's head.

The Cephirean Prince gave up. Rather quickly.

They'd dropped unceremoniously back into the palace, in a vacant hallway. But as they moved closer to the throne room, they found more and more people—the wounded of the battle, and those treating the wounded, both Aldarban and Cephirean. They sidestepped everyone and finally made it into the throne room proper. The wounded there had been the less severely injured, and had already been ushered away to other rooms to finish their recuperation.

As they exploded into the room, those gathered at the middle turned to face them. Lafarga looked exhausted, but relieved, and he cheerfully accepted Caldina's…ahem, _enthusiastic_ greeting.

And with him was…

"Caliana!" Ferio strolled up to the Aldarban Princess.

She smiled and bowed slightly in return of greeting, before her expression grew thoughtful and no little concerned. "Where are the Magic Knights?"

Silence fell. Even Creator was quiet.

And a burst of light exploded at the domed ceiling of the room; the blinding brightness caused everyone to throw hands and arms in front of faces to protect their eyesight. After a moment, it faded enough that they could look.

Three girls, standing in a circle with hands physically linking them together, clad in the clothing of Earth. Armor and glove-gems marked them as Magic Knights. Three pairs of boot-clad feet noiselessly touched down onto the smooth stone floor. The light hovered around them, seemingly lifting at their hair and clothing; Umi's hair, in particular, was hovering around her like a halo of blue silk.

And after it faded, they remained motionless for a moment. The spectators stared in hypnotized awe, and under their watchful gazes, all three slumped forward and tumbled to the floor in a heap.

Their fall seemed to shake their miniature audience out of its stupor, and a flurry of activity followed. Ferio would let no one get near Fuu, insisting instead that he would take care of her. Presea was arguing with him and Lantis over the state of the girls—the latter was hovering protectively over the unconscious Fire Knight. Caldina was trying to revive Umi while Ascot pushed her out of the way.

In short, it was an unadulterated mess of frantic worry.

"Bravo!"

The sound of quiet applause silenced them all, and weapons were drawn once the source of the cheers had been ascertained. "You…what are you doing? You have no business here!" Lantis snarled.

Reclining on the throne across the room, Amaya smiled lazily. "Oh, yes we do!"

Michiko smacked her on the head while Sachi rolled her eyes and took over, ignored Amaya's whining. "We thought that perhaps you would like an explanation—why this all happened. Who we are, which," she looked down the red, black, and gold armor she wore, "I'm sure is obvious enough. And furthermore, we would like the chance to meet our successors." She paused, glancing sympathetically at the three unconscious girls, each being lifted carefully from the floor. "Of course, it might work a bit better once they're all awake…"

Lantis, Ferio, and Ascot glowered angrily; each of the three was cradling an unresisting Magic Knight in protective arms. They looked murderous towards the three ghosts—for that's what they had all figured the newcomers to be. Ghosts.

"Might I make a suggestion?" Sachi said calmly, ignoring the acidic glares. "The three children are exhausted. Perhaps we should let them rest a while. They've been dragged through the Seven Hells face down—I'd say they've earned a nap. I doubt they'll sleep for long, anyway. Once they've rested, then we can gather everyone and give a full explanation to everyone at once." She glanced at the girls again, faint worry-lines creasing her forehead.

This was met with suspicious frowns and hesitant nods.

"Then we leave them to you," Amaya nodded, and the three disappeared.

Without waiting for permission, they scattered. Three unconscious girls were whisked away to well-earned beds, and the military leaders and Aldarban ambassadors retired to the privacy of Clef's study to keep their own counsel.

But the Master Mage himself paused at the door to his study and glanced back over his shoulder, guided by some instinct. And he saw the corner of a pale blue cape disappearing around the corner.

His expression darkened as anger flared in his eyes. _Amaya…_

_o_

_o_

The three girls from another world had been put to bed to sleep off their ordeal. But unbeknownst to all, the Magic Knights were restless in their slumber. They dreamed of things that they were not yet able to understand, and things that frightened them…

_She heard yelling, and raised the sword. How was the blade clean? She had just been on a battlefield, fighting monsters for the sake of the country she loved and the Pillar protected. It should have been filthy, but it shone; she could clearly see her reflection in it._

_She raised the sword as the shouts drew nearer. He was coming for her now. And she was unsure of his intentions towards her. Death, imprisonment, torture, or any number of things…all were definite possibilities. She had to protect them, and herself._

_He exploded through the door. One movement of her hand was all it took…_

_She slid downwards, seeing brown hair floating around her as she fell._

_Brown hair that turned to blue._

_Blue, that faded into black._

_o_

_o_

_She couldn't even move her hand to grasp at the arrow buried up to the fletching in her chest. She could feel blood and pain and blood and her whole body shivered._

_Her breathing sounded shaky, like a baby's toy. Didn't they call that a death-rattle? She coughed, and tasted something warm and metallic and bitter. Red and green, such a contrast…_

_He was there too, crying, crying, crying…she heard the words I'm Sorry in his voice, but couldn't answer them. She couldn't even reach out to him now, her body rebelled and refused to obey her. He begged her not to leave him…_

_But she had to. She had chosen this, as she slipped into the darkness that should have been painless and free, his cries following her the entire way down. It had been her choice, and she stuck by it._

_After all, that arrow had been meant for him…_

_o_

_o_

_He was gone._

_How could he be gone? It had to be a mistake._

_No, no mistake…not a mistake at all. He was there, sprawled out, as though simply sleeping—except a sleeping person would not have that kind of a head-wound, spilling blood, blood, blood. The same color as her own armor._

_Over the din of the battlefield, the cries of the wounded and the dying and the silence of the dead and the shouts of the fighters, many would later swear that they had heard something shatter._

_Everyone had to get away. They had to get away from her right now. NOW._

_As if her thoughts had somehow reached them, her friends scattered, shying away from her as fast as they could, putting as much distance as possible._

_And then…there was fire. She summoned it from the land, the rocks, the very air itself. All of it fueled a fire driven by insanity that claimed the last moments of a life. The flames curled and roared and devoured everything, including its progenitor._

_She huddled in the midst of the inferno, barely feeling its deadly lick on her skin, holding him close to her as she waited. **I'll come to you…**_

_o_

_o_

The crowd gathered in Clef's study was strange, to say the least. Representatives of several different types of magic were present, in addition to the Aldarban entourage in their military uniforms of blue and gold, and the smaller contingent of Earth representatives in their jeans and sweatshirts. Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu were the only ones missing.

Furthermore, the crowd gathered in Clef's study was very…cozy, to say the least. Kagura had gotten fairly squashed back into a corner, and Caldina was sitting on Lafarga's lap, not to be flirty, but simply for lack of any other seat. Lafarga was not complaining.

The noise made by the crowd gathered in Clef's study was…ear-splitting. Everyone was demanding explanations louder than the person beside them, and when they didn't get answers, they simply shouted all the louder, and the resulting din was damn near deafening.

When the door cracked open, though, the room fell silent.

Into this newfound quiet, a pair of curious crimson eyes peered around the door. "Umm…hi?"

**_GLOMP!_**

Caldina springboarded from her perch on Lafarga's lap (which he wasn't complaining about) and hit poor Hikaru with a perfect flying tackle. "You're okay!" Behind her, the other two moved into the room trailed by Presea, who had been sent to fetch them upon their awakening.

"Caliana! You're here too!" Fuu's expression brightened as she noticed the Aldarban Princess, and she immediately moved to the young woman with arms outstretched in welcome.

To the amazement of many, Caliana opened her arms in return. "You're all right?"

"We're all okay," the Wind Knight replied emphatically. She paused, then smirked and looked quizzically at the young man standing at Caliana's shoulder. "Soooooo…who's your friend?" she asked sweetly, the very picture of innocence.

Blush, blush, blush!

The man in question recovered first, and stepped forward to relieve her. "My name is Kannon. I am the Princess' general, head of her guard."

Caliana had regained herself now as well, and she added, "We've known each other since childhood. It's a very long-standing friendship." The Look she bestowed then challenged them to make a comment or a wisecrack, but the still-present blush told its own story.

"You three have done very well."

Presea, who had moved to the front of the room to take a spot leaning against a table, jumped and moved aside. Sachi, former Knight of Rayearth, had appeared behind her, smiling gently.

"Now that we have everyone here," Amaya said from beside her, "we can get started."

"And I'll apologize for these two right now, well in advance," Michiko added, earning herself a Grade-A Glare from Sachi and a Grade-A Whine from Amaya, who was protesting that Michiko didn't love her anymore.

But Umi stepped forward, and everyone watched her with a certain degree of reverence; her sacrifice was not a secret, all who had been in there had seen what she had done. She looked exhausted, but whole and calm as she addressed the three. "I don't think I'm out of line in demanding a full explanation. Why? Why did you do this?" Her tone was firm, with a distinct note of pleading threaded through it.

Murmurs and call of agreement abounded.

Michiko stepped forward and held out her hands for calm. "Please. If everyone will settle down, then we can get this mess cleared up, and happiness will once again reign." Everyone seemed to accept this, and as the room quieted down once again, all attention focused on the three deceased Knights. They looked at each other, and nodded.

Umi, meanwhile, had found herself squashed between Presea and Ascot. She wasn't complaining about the seating arrangement, but at the moment, her attention was focused entirely elsewhere. She was unusually somber, for her, with no trace of her usual smiles.

Amaya, the Knight of Selece, stepped forward, and began. "First of all, I realize that we owe everyone here an apology—especially you, Umi," her eyes lighted on the younger Knight, and her expression seemed truly grieved. "We did mislead you…and hopefully, now you'll be able to understand the who, the how, and the why."

As Amaya continued, she seemed to be talking more to herself than anyone else. "Long ago—far more years that I care to admit, really, especially in Cephirean time—the three of us were brought to Cephiro, much the same as you three were. And yes," her attention came back down to Earth for a moment as she smiled at the girls in question, "we know all about that. We've had our eye on you three for quite some time, I can tell you." She paused, then went on, "We fell onto a bluff. We didn't know each other, and we didn't know where we were. And you three know exactly how that feels."

Sachi took over at this point. "We were greeted by the man who was Master Mage at that time. Guru Alto started us on our path, as Clef started you. We were given our magic, and sent on our way. Our journey was far less bumpy than yours, though, as there was no sorcerer trying to stop us, no minions appearing to block our path—just monsters. That was our major worry—the monsters…and they were everywhere." She snickered. "I swear, they looked at us and thought, 'Hmmm, Magic Knights sure look tasty today!'"

"They certainly liked _me_…" Amaya interjected crossly, folding her arms across her chest. "Honestly, do I look that tasty? I don't think I do…I'm really quite disgusting." She winked. "Sarcasm and cynicism are definitely not good seasonings, wouldn't you say?"

"ANYWAY," Michiko stepped in to carry on the story. The narration was flowing from one to the next without any trouble whatsoever; despite the appearance of perpetual bickering, it was quite obvious that these three were close and could work together easily with little to no prompting. "We first visited the chief pharle of the time—his name was Kardos. We journeyed to Eterna in search of Escudo. The stupid puddle tested us," she cracked a smile at Umi's loud snicker, "and might I say that I nearly died before I remembered that my beloved grandmother had died a year earlier, and had no magical powers before she died, and therefore, could not POSSIBLY be throwing fireballs at my head."

"Our weapons were forged," Michiko continued, happily ignoring the chuckles of the younger Knights, "and we went on our way. Our first stop ended up being the Wind Shrine, where I met my mashin." She paused and looked up, grinning unrepentantly. "Polly want a cracker?"

**"I resent that," **Windam's rumbling baritone replied. **"I do not like you anymore."**

She laughed, "And might I add that Sachi got the crap scared out of her…"

_The emerald-colored eagle loomed over them, spreading his four wings wide. He beat them once, and the resulting gale nearly sent the three girls flying from the shrine. They held their ground and waited for the being to speak…or to destroy them, whichever happened to come first. The girl in the red sweater screamed out loud, her black hair snapping in the wind. Sachi truly believed that she was going to die, but his attention skimmed past her to the one behind her; it was to her that he spoke._

_And when he spoke (and confirmed that, indeed, he was a 'he'), the voice was a majestic baritone that simultaneously frightened, awed, and relaxed them. "I am Windam…and you are to be my Knight. Prove to me the strength of your heart…"_

_Michiko, kneeling on the floor, began to glow as her mashin connected with her for the first time…_

"Michiko had to prove herself later, when we were attacked, and she was injured to protect Sachi," Amaya went on, "and Windam accepted her as his Knight. From there, we were off to the Water Shrine, where we picked up Puff the Magic Dragon…"

**"Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, little girl," **Selece's voice boomed over the room, **"for you are good crunchy and served with ketchup."**

"Quiet, you," Amaya replied to the jibe and went on with the story without missing a beat. "And Selece probably took a few years off the end of Michiko's natural life, I'm quite certain…

_Michiko sat on the floor, staring blankly at the enormous cerulean dragon that had uncoiled itself and was now studying the three of them. As its eyes passed over her, she whimpered and whispered, "Please don't eat me…"_

_There was no answer from the mashin, whose stare had stopped at last on Amaya. She stood her ground and held his gaze, albeit shakily. But her knees went out from under her when she heard the voice that would shortly become one of her greatest comforts. "Chosen girl from another world, I am Selece…"_

_The entire sanctum lit up in a strange blue glow, casting eerie shadows across turquoise walls…_

The Knight of Windam merely hmph-ed.

"I met Rayearth last. We damn near fell into that stupid volcano…" Sachi recounted, tapping her chin thoughtfully with one gloved finger; the three of them were still in their mashin-wear, and the capes and armor assured that there was no confusion as to who was who. "And of all of them, I thought Rayearth was the least frightening."

**"You cut me to the quick," **Rayearth, the only mashin who had been silent up until now, finally said his peace in response to the jibe. **"I find myself to be very intimidating."**

Hikaru snorted.

_Sachi stood calmly. Having seen the other two acquire their legendary partners, she was not afraid or alarmed, but instead felt certain that she knew what was coming. Before her stood a wolf-being, seemingly borne and made of flame itself. This was her magic—her trial by fire, as it were._

_Behind her, Amaya and Michiko waited with some semblance of patience. Unfortunately, Amaya was not actually a very patient person, and it was starting to show by the fidgeting. They, too, were used to this whole thing by now._

_"I am Rayearth," the being said as flames danced around her without touching or burning her. And she became the last to accept the choice of her mashin and the burden of her destiny._

"The Pillar was Sapphira. She was waiting for us, alone in the Palace. She greeted us, and explained to us what we were to do. We were horrified, of course," Sachi barreled on, "but in the end…well, it was our destiny, just as it was yours. We did it, it was done, the end. And then…the Creator appeared to us."

"Creator?" Hikaru glanced at Mokona, who had gone into Creator-mode, and was hovering beside Amaya, observing silently.

"After we fulfilled our duty to the Pillar, we were given the choice," Michiko said, her expression fading as she remembered. "The difference between you three and us is that we had nothing to go back to when we were brought here initially, while you three had lives and homes—because of that, you went straight back when your purpose here was fulfilled. We, however, were given the option."

"None of us had particularly happy lives on Earth," Amaya added softly; her eyes misted over the tiniest bit. "I…I won't go into it in detail, it isn't important to this story. But the fact was that all three of felt more at home here than we ever had on Earth, and we chose to stay as protectors to the new Pillar."

"Emeraude had actually been born shortly before we arrived," Michiko picked the story up again. "I truly believe that Sapphira saw that the baby girl was worthy of becoming the Pillar and would take the burden, and so she decided that the time was right to pass the crown to another. So she summoned us to relieve her, and left Emeraude and Cephiro in our capable hands for the future."

"We made our homes here," Sachi's turn came around again. "There was no place in the kingdom that did not welcome us, and we knew many of every class." She smiled wryly. "I guess you could say we sort of led charmed existences. We had a place to belong, we had friends, and…" She paused and blushed slightly, "we eventually had families of our own here."

"Families?" Ferio asked.

"Even Magic Knights need…companionship," Amaya said loftily, smirking at the blush that took half the people in the room. "We'd been here for quite some time. After all, will is everything here. And as the fairy tales go, we…we found our princes. Families. Children. Friends. We were taken care of. It didn't seem that anything could go wrong for us." She snorted. "How wrong we were…"

"It was not uncommon," Michiko explained, "for families of nobility to send their sons to Court upon their reaching the appropriate age. See the country, find their mate—you know how it goes. But there were also provisions for poorer families with children of talent or potential to send their children to the Palace for training."

"What kind of training?" Fuu interjected; she was enthralled in the story.

"Architecture. Refined agriculture. Art. Music. Writing. Swordsmanship," Michiko rattled off, tallying the various items off on her fingers. "I know there are more. But there were also those rare few who were sent to learn magic. It was rare, indeed. Those found to have the gift, whatever their ability, studied under the Guru himself."

She paused then, and Amaya took another turn. "One of those who came here was a young man named Xander." She paused as everyone registered this. "He was from a small village near the Southern border, and he came to learn magic. Everyone knew right away that he was particularly gifted, and there was some definite talk concerning his future."

"Guru Alto was getting on in years—not that you could necessarily tell on sight, after all, but the fact was that he was tired," Sachi proceeded. "It was coming time for him to choose a successor. Everyone knew it would be one of his two star pupils—Xander and Clef." She smiled across the room at the diminutive mage, who managed the weakest of grins in return.

"But there were already problems," Michiko went on. "Shortly after his arrival at the Palace, Xander had the pleasure of meeting our Amaya. As you may have noticed," she shot a glance at her companion, who was currently peering curiously over Lantis' shoulder; the cail was watching her warily, "she's very much a 'people person.' The two struck up a fast friendship. And…well…"

Fuu sighed. "I smell unrequited love."

Sachi nodded. "You have an accurate nose." She sighed. "Xander fell for Amaya. He fell hard. Part of that might have been simply circumstances. He was still very young, and like many in Cephiro, he had grown up on the stories of the Magic Knights. Then to actually meet one, and have her be the person that Amaya is? He was amazed. Overwhelmed." She smiled sadly. "There were many jokes flying around Court about the way he trailed after her…an infatuated puppy. It would have been sweet, if the status quo hadn't suddenly changed."

It didn't escape several, though, that Amaya had gone very quiet, and didn't seem able to look anyone straight in the eye. Her gaze was far away, reliving moments in a uniquely interesting and adventurous life that had long ago been extinguished.

Michiko took over, drawing curious eyes away from her friend. "Realize that by the time Xander arrived at the Palace, the three of us had been here for a while, and we had settled down. At the time of their first meeting, Amaya was married—or the Cephirean equivalent of marriage, I suppose. She already had a son, and if I recall, you were just about ready to spawn Kid Number Two." She glanced over at Amaya, who nodded mutely. "So you can imagine that it was quite a surprise when he…well, confessed."

There was a pause.

Amaya's voice, quiet and strained, dropped into that silence, startling several. "He caught me in the hallway. I'd heard the rumors, of course, but I didn't really pay attention to it. I thought it to be simply infatuation, and played it down. That was a grave mistake on my part…he confronted me…"

_"Don't you dare walk away from me!" Xander scowled, grabbing her arm and yanking hard._

_She couldn't quite bite back the yelp that his grip elicited. He was hurting her. This was so unlike him—nothing like the young man she had come to treasure as a friend. But he didn't see it that way._

_And he was angrier than she had ever seen him._

_"You know I already have someone," she said, fighting to keep calm. "I'm a mother. They're my family. You have to accept that. I'm sorry, but that's the way things are. I'm sorry."_

_He pulled hard on her arm again. "I won't accept that."_

_She wrenched herself from his grasp and stumbled backwards. "I'm sorry."_

_He turned and stormed off, his stomping footsteps echoing loudly in the expansive corridor._

_She leaned back against the wall, one hand rubbing absently at the spot on her arm where he had grabbed her. It would bruise, no doubt about it. She stared after him in shock, vision blurred by tears._

"In the time since it all happened, we found out exactly what we missed," Sachi said. "There was a being of darkness. It has no name, it has no form. Nothing. It just _was_. And it found Xander. He was angry, and he wanted to get back at Amaya. Given time on his own, I'm sure he would have gotten over it. But…well, whatever it was got to him first. And it changed him."

"He became the monster you saw tonight," Michiko added. "And with that power, he created his army and attacked Cephiro. Whatever this thing was—we simply called it the Shadow, for lack of any real name—it had warped his grudge, and he wanted to take Cephiro as well. That monster is the form of the Shadow when it has a body to use. He became that form on the battlefield. Scared the hell out of a good many of our soldiers."

"What have you become?" Umi quoted in a whisper.

"His forces were thrashing our army," Michiko continued. "It was a dire situation. At one point, we were fairly certain that all was lost. It was that bad. People were dying all over the place…"

"So how did you stop him? How did you beat him in the end" Presea asked, marking one of the few times someone other than a Magic Knight had dared to ask a question. "Cephiro won the battle, we can safely say. But what exactly happened?"

There was a pause. Then…

"I was the first to die," Michiko said bluntly.

Several gasped.

"It was a bit melodramatic, really," she went on, surprisingly calm for one who was talking about her own demise. "We mentioned that we had married? I'd had a fight with my guy the previous day. A big one. A reeeeeeeeally big one." Her eyes closed. "I never apologized…"

Fuu gasped as she had a flash of insight. _An arrow plunged into her chest, embedding itself up to the fletching. She fell, feeling something sharp beneath her back as red clouded her vision and someone she held dear sobbed over her…_

"An arrow…" Fuu breathed; all heads swiveled to look at her. A wall in Fuu's memory had just come crashing down, and her head snapped back as she stared at her predecessor. "The book in Clef's library. The portrait. That was you! But…" A frown crossed her face. "Why did I forget that?"

Michiko actually smiled. "I thought so. I do apologize, but you were about to stumble onto something that you weren't ready to know. And yes, an arrow. He was there when I died. He followed me soon after. I guess all I did was postpone the inevitable…"

Fuu got it. "The arrow wasn't meant for you."

"You are a credit to our line," Michiko surprised everyone by chuckling. "Right again."

The implication was left to sink in.

"I'd…rather not talk about mine," Sachi looked away. "If someone else wants to do the honors?"

"I will," Michiko volunteered.

"You just like hearing the sound of your own voice," Amaya jibed.

"You'll get your turn," Michiko retorted before returning to the story. "Sachi's lover was a soldier in the army, so of course he was right there in the thick of the battle. He was killed, and Sachi saw it. She…well, she snapped."

The woman in question refused to meet anyone's gaze, choosing instead to simply stare off into space, a blank, distant look in her eyes. Her short, dark hair fell around her face, further obscuring her features and her expression.

"Of us all, Sachi had been the first to really get a grip on her magic. She could do amazing things. She even used to do little shows for the children in the villages we visited, juggling fireballs, making fire appear, that kind of thing. But that day," Michiko pressed forward, "she lost all control, and did something that even we didn't know she could do. I understand that the Firestorm she called has become a legend in and of itself."

"Firestorm?" Hikaru cocked her head to one side.

"Flames. She pulled flames from the very air itself. She somehow managed to communicate to the Cephirean forces that there was going to be a disaster, and as they scattered, she called the Firestorm," Michiko explained. "She incinerated herself, her lover's body, and a good many of the enemy. And actually, I went back to that spot right after this whole mess with Xander started, when we were just hanging around. There's a round plot of land there that still has nothing growing on it. That's where it happened. That's where Sachi died."

"You burned yourself alive…?" Hikaru asked softly, incredulously. Sachi turned further away, and nodded once, slightly. She had wrapped her arms around her stomach, as though chilled; at Hikaru's query, they tightened around her even further.

"That leaves you…Amaya," Umi said quietly, deciding it prudent to draw attention away from the elder of the two Fire Knights. Furthermore, her own curiosity was not to be put off any further. She had seen Amaya's death in the moments before her own, and now she could ask about it.

A pregnant pause. Then she spoke. "I saw both of them die. Not an experience I would ever want to repeat, I assure you. After Sachi died, I fled the field, and went to the Creator. I knew that there had to be a way to seal him, and if anyone would know what that was, Creator would. So I asked."

"And Creator told you…" Fuu began slowly, certain that she already knew.

"There is," Amaya intoned, "great power to be found in death if one knows how to use it. This is especially the case if the deceased possessed usable magic on their own. That power can be used to great extents. And there is no more powerful magic than that cast by one who would sacrifice their own life for it." She paused, and sighed again; it was evident that they had reached a topic she did not want to speak of. "The most dangerous adversary is one who would die for their cause."

"So you died…" Hikaru trailed off, comprehension dawning.

"To seal him," she nodded. "To stop him from further harming Cephiro or those dear to me. I ended my life as Umi did—my own hand, my own sword. And that trapped him away." Her eyes fell closed, and something glimmered on her eyelashes. Could a ghost cry? "Truthfully, if I had really wanted to, I could have used that power to kill him. But…I couldn't do it…" She stopped, and no one blamed her.

"What happened after you died?" Fuu asked.

"The people of Cephiro mourned the loss of their heroes. It was even said that the elements themselves mourned. When Sachi died, every fire in the kingdom went out and would not light again. At Michiko's death, legend says that the wind could be heard screaming as it traveled through the trees. And when Amaya perished, it was said that the sea itself wept great tears in mourning. It was a dark time for Cephiro. But time went on, wounds healed, and as generations passed, the legend of the Magic Knights became what it was supposed to be—merely a legend," the Creator picked up the tale to answer Fuu's query. "Then you three came to Cephiro, and the legend was reborn."

"But if you sealed him, then how is it he came back?" Fuu demanded. "How long was he sealed?"

"In Cephirean years, it's been well over five hundred years," Michiko replied. "In Earth years, I'd estimate maybe one hundred years." She smiled at the goggled expression on Fuu's face at that. "We've been keeping up with the times, in case you couldn't tell. Not really much to do when you're hanging around, dead, waiting for somebody to pop up and re-fix a problem. And like we said earlier, we've been keeping an eye on the three of you for a long time. We knew you would be the ones. And as to how he got out, simple—seals can be broken, especially when they're as old as that one was. He's been stuck in there for all this time, gathering his power, and finally he just broke the seal."

"Xander probably broke out before you three even came back," Sachi added, almost as an afterthoughts. "He was just biding his time and rebuilding before he actually went on the offensive. But the story has just become a part of Cephirean legend, as the Magic Knights are, and so nobody thought to watch out for it, I suppose."

Umi rose to her feet abruptly. "Why? Why couldn't you tell us this?"

Amaya moved away from the other two and walked over, standing directly in front her successor. Twin pairs of cerulean eyes locked in a silent war for supremacy, neither one willing to give into the other, one seeking an answer that the other was reluctant to share.

Finally, Amaya relented before the honest question. "Umi…at this point, I think you understand that in order to seal Xander, you had to die. Your blood re-sealed his fate. You fulfilled that part of the pact." She sighed. "When I died, I made two wishes to the Creator. The first was for myself and my friends. All three of us were mothers. Between us, we had seven children, and they were all alone. Cephiro was not safe for them, simply because of their blood. There was no way that we could get rid of all of Xander's army, and not all of his soldiers were creations of magic. The humans who joined with him would have gladly harmed the children."

"I honored her wish," Creator interjected. "I sent the children where I knew they would be safe. In accordance with Amaya's wish, the memories of the older children were altered. Their images of Cephiro, their parents, the Magic Knights—all of these became remnants of dreams. They were stories that they had been told of a magical place. Nothing more than a child's imagination."

"My second wish was for you," Amaya went on. At Umi's startled look, she elaborated. "I knew that the seal would be broken some day. So I made a wish for the one to whom the burden would fall—you, Umi. I didn't want another person to die like I did. And my wish was granted…with conditions."

"Well, I must have done something right," Umi laughed humorlessly.

"The only truly willing sacrifice is one who would sacrifice herself," Amaya explained, "without knowing that she would be saved. You died by your own hand, perfectly willing to give up your life to protect others. And in doing so…you saved your own life."

"…I don't understand," Umi said after a moment.

"Basically," Fuu said slowly, "you stabbed yourself and died. It was completely willing because you did it yourself—no reservations at all, or none that were enough to stop you. Because you were a totally willing sacrifice, they could save your life. I don't know how they go about the saving of life thing, but that's the gist of it. Right?"

"Exactly," Amaya nodded.

"So does that mean that Xander could have killed her?" Fuu asked, eyebrows drawing together.

"In theory, yes," the elder Knight of Selece replied, "but would you really have wanted to find out?" When Fuu shook her head, she smiled, "I thought not. But that, Umi, is why I couldn't tell you much of anything. I'm sorry…but it had to be that way."

"So you really did save the day!" Hikaru beamed as some of the tension left the room, and people began breathing normally again. "And you kicked Xander's ass. Two birds with one stone!"

Umi had the decency to look sheepish.

As the assembly began to relax a bit and conversation began floating around with a bit more ease, Amaya leaned over and whispered, "So now that the serious stuff is out of the way…tell me about this summoner friend of yours? He's adorable!"

Umi blushed, a red color that would have made Rayearth himself…well, green with envy.

Ferio was startled when Caliana grabbed his arm and pulled him off to the side. But he recovered enough to look at her Guard and smile, "So…who is he again?"

She gave him a Look, but had the decency to blush a little. But she shook it off quickly and went about business as usual. "I thought I should tell you what became of the ring you gave me." He looked surprised, and she knew that he had forgotten all about it. "If you want it back, you will have to go speak with Fuu. I left it in her possession to return to you, but I suspected that it had been forgotten in the chaos."

The Prince blinked as comprehension dawned. Then he nodded and made his way across the room. She was speaking with one Caliana's advisors, and he cautiously interrupted. "Mind if I steal her for a moment?" The man nodded, and she seemed confused as he pulled her away.

"Can I help you?" Fuu asked carefully, belatedly remembering her promise to herself that she was going to get this worked out with him after the Xander thing was resolved. Well, Xander had been displaced, and now…here he was.

Crap…

"I think you have something of mine…" he said, just as cautiously.

One, two, three, _click_! Fuu's eyes widened in realization, and she reached into her pocket. "Sorry…I completely forgot I had this. Caliana told me to give it back to you—here." She withdrew the small gold band and pressed it into Ferio's palm.

He caught her hand as she moved to pull it back. "Fuu…there's something I need to tell you…" As he spoke, he returned the ring by slipping it onto her finger. "It's yours…if you'll have it…"

She was silent for a moment, and he was sure he'd made yet another mess of things…

Until she reached up, grabbed his shoulders, and kissed him, right on the lips.

She kissed him _good_.

And suddenly, every eye in the room was on them. Strangely enough, Fuu really couldn't have cared less. She was far more interested in, well, other things at that moment. But when they came up for air, she had the courtesy to look a little chagrined at the round of applause she and Ferio received.

Ferio, meanwhile, was reduced to blushing and stuttering, more of surprise at her actions than actual embarrassment. It was quite cute, really.

Then did the teasing begin in earnest. Caldina, in particular, was thrilled to have a target.

As Michiko walked by, she whispered to Fuu, "You're a definite credit to the line of Windam Knights. Brave, tough, strong, smarter than the average bear, and I'll be damned if you don't have excellent taste in men, my dear."

Fuu blushed.

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**AN: **Yay, that's done! All is well in the world…what, you didn't think I was actually going to let her stay dead, did you? Come on! I mentioned a sequel (which I'm currently in the process of planning), and I really like a good happy ending, 'specially if it's sappy. Looking back, I wonder what I accidentally inhaled when I wrote some parts of this…but anyway, quick translation note, just to clear up a couple of the names. I try to pick names that kind of go with the characters, and I think these fit pretty well:

_Amaya: _Night Rain

_Sachi: _Fortunate

_Michiko: _Beautiful wise child

_Caliana: _Princess

_Xander: _Protector of Mankind (and that, my friends, is called IRONY!) (Honestly, I needed a name for the Big Bad Villain Guy of Evil, and that was just the first one that popped into my head.)

_Tama: _Ball or Globe

_Kannon: _Warrior (Caliana's "friend")

_Kardos:_ Sword smith (a Hungarian name, the name of the pharle)

_Alto: _The lower female singing voice, and the previous Guru. I thought "Clef…Alto…it totally fits!" BTW, alto is totally the best part in the choir. Nope, I'm not biased…not an alto section leader or anything…

_Sapphira: _Emeraude…ya know, kinda sounds like emerald…yeah. You get the idea :)

But we're nearing the end. Figure about three more chapters to wrap this up. The next one will be average-ish length, the last one will be short, and the epilogue will be about as dinky as the prologue was. Hard to believe, isn't it? And you know the really funny thing? I haven't actually watched Magic Knight Rayearth in over a year. I really should pull my DVDs out and rewatch it.

But enough of my rambling. As I said at the beginning, this story has broken the **One Hundred and Fifty Review Mark**! And it's all thanks to you wonderful people. It has also broken the **One Thousand View Mark** (since the little counter thingie was implemented), and the **One Hundred Thousand Word Mark**! Can you tell I'm a little excited? But since this is sort of a three-pronged happiness, I was really kind of stumped as to what exactly to do for a special…but I did this. So enjoy a little look at our three previous Knights—Amaya, Michiko, and Sachi…

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**Time Well Spent**

"Hey."

Sachi and Michiko looked up as Amaya appeared beside them.

The Knight of Rayearth smirked. "You too, huh? Figures. What happened to you?"

"Did it myself," Amaya plopped down on the ground beside them. "Stopped Xander, though."

"Idiot," Sachi retorted.

"Sooooooo…here we are," Michiko looked around at the black void surrounding them and frowned. "Where is here, exactly? Anyone have any ideas?"

"Is this Heaven?" Sachi asked dubiously.

"No, it's Iowa," Amaya replied. When her two compatriots turned and stared blankly at her, she cleared her throat noisily and went on, "Actually, I think we're stuck here because our job isn't done."

"…what the hell are you talking about?" Sachi deadpanned.

"We swore to protect Cephiro, right?" Amaya explained. "Well, sooner or later, Xander's going to get loose, and he'll probably want to start wreaking havoc or something. And we've got to be there to help stop him. I mean, somebody else is going to have to do the self-inflicted stabby death thing…but we'll still need to be there for emotional support!" A pause. "Or something…"

"Riiiiiiiiiight. So we're gonna be here for a while, I take it?" Michiko said.

"Most likely."

A heavy silence fell.

Sachi reached into her pocket. "Okay, let's answer this question once and for all."

Two nods met her suggestion as she pulled out something small.

A moment later, she was hard at work on the Tootsie Roll Pop, while Michiko counted licks.

"One…two…three…"

_Omake of the Omake: "You totally bit into it!" "I DID NOT!"_

**NEXT CHAPTER: **Now that they know the story of their predecessors, Umi, Hikaru, and Fuu want to learn more about them. But there's one little, tiny detail that Amaya forgot to mention…tune in next time, for _Chapter 16:_ Hidden Truths. See you then!


	16. Hidden Truths

**AN: **Hooray, I'm back. Let the trumpets sound, blah blah blah, whatever…yeah. Joyful. Sorry I've been so long on updating. Things have been crazy busy around here. This chapter is heavy on dialogue, character development, and _mucho_ back-story. Anyhoo, on we go. No ownie…yeah. Luvs!

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**Hidden Truths**

Two days.

Had it really only been two days since the Battle? It seemed like a lot longer.

Everyone seemed to be doing wonderfully, though—Umi, in particular. She was full back on her feet and back to health. Her mood, however, wasn't back up to the usual Umi standard of "I'm perfectly happy until I get pissed off and got into Hell-Bitch mode and then _somebody's_ going down." She had been fairly subdued since the fight, keeping her own counsel and not even confiding in Hikaru, Fuu, or Kagura.

No one bothered her. For all intents and purposes, she had died that day, though she had been resurrected because of her own sacrifice. After that kind of a scare—and no one doubted that she had been terrified—she had every reason to be as withdrawn as she was.

But more was on Umi's mind than simply her near-death experience. Make no mistakes, it was quite prevalent in her thoughts. Up until that moment in the void between worlds, it had never really occurred to any of the Magic Knights that they could die in battle. They'd always known that they could, of course, it had always been that tiny shadow perched on their shoulders. But at the same time, none of them had ever really acknowledged the true gravity of their situations.

It had driven home a horrible point, but she knew that none of them would ever again make the mistake of not considering all possible outcomes of a situation before charging headlong into the fray.

Also, she had realized something else, something that was more than a little frightening, and it was something that gave her great reason to pause: there was no word on Aeric.

Xander's general had last been seen on the field of battle, while the Magic Knights were defeating his lord. In the excitement of the Aldarban army's arrival and the resulting chaos of Xander's downfall—a good chunk of his army had been supported by magic, and had actually disappeared with his defeat—Aeric had simply vanished. No one knew what had become of the blonde man with the black armor and the slimy-charming mannerisms. Umi had the sinking suspicion that they hadn't seen the last of Aeric. It was a decidedly unpleasant thought.

There were other things she considered as well, though.

For the last two days, she could have sworn that she had seen…shadows. Things that she glanced out of the corner of her eyes, yet that seemed to slip around the corner as she turned to actually look. This would have frightened her, if she hadn't been certain that she recognized at least one of the figures.

After seeing Amaya's shadow-form in her dreams for this long, Umi was pretty sure she recognized her counterpart's long-haired silhouette. So by process of reasoning, she deduced that the other forms that danced just out of her sight were Michiko and Sachi. She wasn't quite sure why they were taking such pains to not be noticed, but she found it strangely comforting that they were keeping an eye on her and everyone. She even found herself hoping that she might get to actually talk to them again.

But there were still other things on her mind.

Fuu and Ferio had been all but joined at the hip for the last two days, and no one had dared intrude. His ring remained firmly on her finger—her left hand, Umi had casually observed. She had seen the two wandering the palace, hand in hand, talking quietly about this and that. They had noticed her a couple of times and stopped to chat, but she felt out of place interrupting their time together, and had usually absented herself quickly. After all, it had been a fight for those two to be together.

It had been much the same between Lantis and Hikaru—keeping each other's company almost exclusively. And in the same way, Umi had often found herself scampering to avoid interrupting them. She refused to be the third wheel on either of her friends.

But…

Not too long ago, Umi had been asked how she measured up to her friends. And until then, she had never really given much thought to it. Fuu was the smart one, Hikaru was the brave one, Kagura was the organizer (that girl could put anything together in record time and damned if it didn't always work out exactly as planned), Takeshi was the funny one, and Umi was the one with enough attitude for an entire army of Magic Knights. She had never worried about it.

Now, though…Umi was jealous. Not of Fuu's intelligence, or Hikaru's courage, or Kagura's natural leadership, or Takeshi's sense of humor. She treasured her friends more than anything.

But Kagura and Takeshi were still—well, _innocent_ was the best word she could come up with for them. Their hands were clean. They had never had to fight for the fate of an entire world. They hadn't gone through what the Magic Knights had. Sometimes Umi craved that innocence. And Hikaru and Fuu had their special someones. She wouldn't intrude, no matter how alone she felt sometimes.

And that brought her full-circle to the heart of the issue.

She still hadn't given Ascot an answer.

Hell, she wasn't even sure what the answer was yet!

Umi felt horrible. She hated the idea of stringing the poor guy along—and that's what it felt like, even if it wasn't intentional. But she really didn't know what to tell him, and she wasn't sure what would happen if she actually tried to face him now. If she went in without any real idea as to what she was going to do, she was certain that whatever happened, she would regret.

So she avoided the issue—and Ascot—until she could decide what she wanted to do. Not that he was actively seeking her out either at the moment. It was a mutual unspoken mission of theirs to avoid each other as long as possible—a situation that had Caldina ready to lock them in a closet together until something happened.

Knowing Caldina, probably something not entirely decent…

But instead, Umi tried to focus her attention on another subject. She was truly intrigued by the idea of their predecessors, the first Magic Knights. And so in an attempt to shift her attention away from her own problems of the heart, she decided that she wanted to learn a little more about those who had gone before her and her friends.

The biggest trouble was not knowing where to start. But Umi had already figured that part out. There was only one person she knew of that would certainly be able to tell her where she could find that sort of information, giving her a point from which she could begin to understand her predecessor.

And so she found herself knocking on the door of Clef's study; when he called, she entered. The diminutive Master Mage was hunched over at his desk, intent on some book; he looked up from the thick volume at her entrance, and smiled genuinely at her. "Umi," he greeted her calmly, "I'm glad to see you're up and about again."

She smiled back, if a bit hesitantly, and then remembered her mission. "I have a question. I was hoping you could direct me to some information." At his quizzical look, she went on in a rush. "I want to find out more about Amaya and Michiko and Sachi. Where could I find information on them?"

His expression shifted slightly to something she couldn't place, but only for an instant. Then the smile returned, and he nodded. "There is a records room here in the palace. We're fortunate that most of the records have remained intact—a good many of them have inherent magical protections to prevent them from being destroyed. You should be able to find what you're looking for there."

A moment later, she was sprinting from his study, calling a thank you back over her shoulder as she turned the corner and headed down the stairs to the lower levels of the palace, as per Clef's directions to the aforementioned records room.

Umi was so intent on her destination that she didn't even notice Hikaru and Lantis coming out of an intersecting corridor. She breezed right past them without even seeing them. The couple stopped and watched her running, her long hair streaming behind her.

As the Blue Knight reached the end of the corridor, Hikaru turned to Lantis. "Didn't you promise Lafarga a spar?" He looked a bit discomfited, and she smiled. "I kind of want to see what Umi's up to. She seems pretty excited about something." Lantis started to protest, but she hushed him gently. "You go spar, I'll go snoop, and we'll meet up later." She rose up onto her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his cheek before scampering off after Umi, running at top speed to catch up.

_o_

_o_

Umi paused in the doorway to catch her breath before actually walking into the darkened room, arms outreached to search for a light-source. She'd barely taken two steps in, though, when Hikaru skidded into the doorway behind her, panting.

"Hikaru?" she actually jumped as she turned to look at her friend quizzically.

The lithe redhead tossed her braided ponytail back with one hand and grinned cheekily. "What're you up to? You went tearing by…I was wondering where you were off to in such a hurry," she explained, joining Umi just inside the doorway. "Sooooo…where are we, and is there a light switch in this place?"

"I was just wondering that…" Umi replied, squinting through the darkness.

Hikaru frowned, then held up her left hand. Her ovum-gem flared, and a tongue of flame appeared above the jewel on her glove, casting an eerie orange glow around them. In that dim light, they spotted several lamps on the walls near the ceiling, running the perimeter of the room. Hikaru's magic made quick work of that, and they were all lit in less than half a minute, and they were free to take a good look around.

The room was far larger than it had first appeared in the shadows. It seemed to stretch out for a mile, lined with rows and rows of endless shelves. All of the shelves were completely covered in papers, books, folders, boxes…that went on forever.

"Jumpin' Jesus on a pogo stick…" Umi gasped, borrowing a favorite phrase of Takeshi's.

"Oh my gosh…" Hikaru breathed. "Stuff…"

In spite of her own awe, Umi had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.

It amazed her sometimes how one person could be so very…_Hikaru_.

"So what is this, anyway?" Hikaru asked, walking up to the first shelf and tugging at the first volume. She flipped it open in her hands and studied it for a minute before frowning. "Numbers. _Blech_!" The book was replaced on the shelf, and she turned back to Umi for an explanation.

"Clef said this was the records room," Umi absently slid one hand through her hair, studying the perceived mess with a frown. How in the world was she supposed to find anything in here? "I wanted to do a little research."

"Like for a paper?" Hikaru grimaced. "We're in Cephiro. You don't have to study."

"No, no—I wanted to see what I could find out about Amaya and the others," Umi clarified with a sigh. "Sachi. Michiko. I mean, we really don't know anything about them…"

Comprehension dawned, and Hikaru nodded emphatically. "Okay, that's the kind of research I think I can handle." She swung around, hair swinging freely behind her. "But where do we start?"

Umi chuckled dryly at the echo of her own thoughts. "Let's just dive in and see what we can find."

_o_

_o_

The throne room door creaked open slowly.

Mokona was sitting on the throne in all his puffball glory. The little creature watched curiously as Fuu slipped through the opening and pushed the door closed again before making her way up the red carpet that ran the length of the center of the room. She paused a meter away from the throne and knelt down.

"I have a question to ask of the Creator, if that's all right," she asked, ever-polite.

"Puu!" Mokona chirped, and in a flare of light, sprouted wings. The pink stone turned yellow, and the vacant, carefree expression grew serious and knowing. "Greetings, young one. Might I compliment you on that ring you are wearing—it is quite lovely."

Fuu looked down at her left hand, where Ferio's ring was prominent on her finger, and blushed. She shook her head. "T-thank you…but I do have a question for you about Michiko and the others." She paused. "It's been bothering me for the last two days…and I was really hoping you would be able to clear things up for me."

"Ask what you will," Creator nodded.

"I've been thinking a lot about Michiko and Sachi and Amaya and what they told us about themselves," she took a deep breath. "And I want to know about their children."

A moment later, Fuu left the throne room, vindicated. She had been right, and she absolutely had to share this revelation with Umi and Hikaru. With her newfound knowledge, she headed towards the records room, as per Mokona's directions, in search of her fellow Magic Knights.

Wait until they heard about this…

_o_

_o_

"So whatcha reading?"

Umi dropped the book she was holding and jumped a mile, letting out a tiny scream. When she took a good look at the newcomer, she heaved a sigh of mild aggravation and put one hand to her heart. "Good god, don't scare me like that!"

Amaya, who had been peering curiously over Umi's shoulder, grinned unrepentantly.

A shriek from the other side of the room made it clear that Hikaru had just gotten the same surprise treatment. This was followed by Michiko's voice; it sounded like she was giving Sachi a good, old-fashioned lecture.

"What in the world?" Fuu asked from the doorway, peering at the chaos.

Then she let out a little _meep_ as Amaya bounded over. "Hi!"

Fuu chuckled lightly, then noticed something. "Amaya…you're not wearing your armor." She glanced at the other two, who had moved from beyond the shelves into view. "None of you are…"

Amaya grinned cheerily and looked down at herself. "Yeah. We figured that you probably know who's who by now. Besides," she gestured towards her plain blue long-sleeved shirt and black pants, "we're still color-coded. It's good." Sure enough, Michiko and Sachi wore identical ensembles, each in their own color of green and red, respectively.

"Hey guys!" Hikaru bounded out from the shelves, having already recovered from her surprise at Sachi's appearance. "Guess what? I found something! Check it out!" Her hands were clutching at an old book, obviously much handled; the brown leather binding was extremely worn.

To everyone's surprise, Sachi straightened up. "Give that to me."

Grinning unrepentantly, Hikaru flipped the book open and started to read. "I swear to Rayearth, he's driving me nuts! This guy at court—he's a soldier—won't leave me alone…"

Hikaru's reading became a bit more hurried and breathless as she began sprinting around the room, up and down the rows of shelves, while Sachi chased after her, her tone of voice somewhere between angry and amused as she demanded that her old diary be returned to her at once.

Amaya and Umi were no help at all. They simply stood there and laughed.

Michiko rolled her eyes. "You're all hopeless. Completely hopeless." She shook her head. "I'm surrounded by idi—hey!" She stepped back between the shelves and reappeared with a good-sized box in her hands. Her hands ran over the sealed, dusty lid with some fondness. "This has my name on it," she explained, tracing the lines of the characters with one fingers. "These were the things of mine that they saved…" And she was momentarily lost to memories.

"Uh, guys?" Fuu said, entering and stepping around the chaos as Hikaru sprinted by.

"Gimme back my diary!" Sachi screeched loudly, hot on Hikaru's heels.

"Guys?" Fuu persisted.

Michiko was carefully breaking the seal on the box, sending small clouds of dust into the air.

"Hello?" Fuu tried again.

Umi and Amaya were laughing so hard that tears were running down their faces.

"_HEY, PAY ATTENTION!"_

All action in the room skidded to an instant stop. Several pairs of widened eyes turned to stare at the Wind Knight's unexpected outburst. Fuu, meanwhile, looked immensely pleased with herself.

"Um, Fuu, can this wait just a second?" Sachi asked, frozen in mid-stride.

"No, listen, you have to hear this!" Fuu rushed, her face pink with excitement.

Everyone listened. For Fuu to be this worked up, it _had_ to be good.

"Caldina and I were just goofing off, and she threw something at me, and it landed on my head, and she made the comment that if I was a redhead, then Michiko and I could pass for twins!" she blurted out hurriedly. "And I looked in the mirror and realized that she was right, and I started thinking. So I went and talked to Creator." She shrugged. "I had a hunch, and I wanted to ask."

"What were you thinking, exactly?" Hikaru pressed, remembering her friend's deduction concerning the idea of a bridge spanning an empty space between the worlds of Earth and Cephiro. Fuu's hunches were almost supernaturally accurate.

Beside them, the three ghosts had gone quiet, listening with much interest.

"Remember how Amaya told us that she made a wish for the children of the Magic Knights to be taken away to somewhere else, where they could be safe?" Fuu was positively giddy. "Well, that's what I asked about. I wanted to know where they'd been sent."

"…AND?" Umi half-screeched.

"Creator altered their memories and put them on Earth," Fuu announced.

Umi's eyes widened. Hikaru's jaw dropped.

Amaya, Michiko, and Sachi were silent and smirking.

"And then I found out that my theory was one hundred percent right!" Fuu rushed on, jumping up and down in a strange little dance. She turned to look at their predecessors. "You said that you'd known for a long time that we were the ones, and you'd been watching us. And I was wondering how you knew. And it's simple—your children were our great-great-grandparents, or thereabouts."

Hikaru's mouth was sagging so far open that you could have driven a Mack truck through it.

Fuu nodded emphatically, crossing her arms and regarding them all triumphantly. "Yup. Michiko, you would be my great-great-great grandmother, if I've figured it right." She waited expectantly.

After a long moment, Michiko frowned. "When you put it like that, it makes me feel old…"

The younger Knight of Windam thrust one fist into the air. "YES! I was so right!"

"My goodness, I really need to keep an eye on you," Amaya jeered. "You keep figuring out all these things that you shouldn't be figuring out!" She huffed in mock-irritation. "Damn Windam Knights…"

Michiko gave her a dirty Look.

"So you and I…" Umi cocked her head to the side and regarded Amaya somewhat suspiciously. "We're…related? Is that what I'm to understand here?"

Amaya nodded. "Yup! You can trace your lineage back to my daughter Taura—she was the younger of my two. She was a teacher." Her brow furrowed in thought. "My son, Akira…he grew up to become a successful businessman."

Eyes shifted expectantly to Sachi, who smiled. "My third child was born two months before the battle—Haruko, my daughter. She lived to be ninety-eight years old. \My oldest was another girl, Kei. She passed relatively young in an accident. And my son, Taro, had nine children. He had been adopted into a wealthy family, and became a lawyer." She grinned at Hikaru. "You can trace back to Taro."

Michiko didn't wait to be asked. "My son, Kisho, was a doctor—his line gave you to us, Fuu. But my younger boy Yasuo…he died very young as well." She fell silent. "I'd rather not talk about it. All three of us kept a very close eye on our children. We were proud of them. But it hurts like hell when you see something happen to them."

"Would you tell us more about your families?" Hikaru asked. "I mean, if you don't want to…"

"Well," Sachi reached over and finally plucked the elusive diary from Hikaru's fingers, "as you've just announced the entire room, there was a young soldier in the army who did not grasp the concept of _NO_. Pretty much from the moment we came to the Palace permanently, he decided that he was going to be my friend. His name was Garin, and he followed me around—constantly."

"Sounds like a stalker," Fuu commented.

"Well, pretty damn close…" she smiled, and pressed on. "Okay, I picked a day on the Cephirean calendar and christened it an unofficial Valentine's Day. Once everyone got the hang on it, it caught on within the court, and all the little nobles were just delighted. The downside to this was that he now had a legitimate excuse one day a year to be irritating." She laughed.

"Oh gods, I remember…" Amaya laughed. "Every year, she'd get the card, and throw it over her shoulder, rolling her eyes, asking how many times she was going to have to say no before he got it." A pause. "I think she punched him once."

"He surprised me," Sachi retorted. "He shouldn't have been standing outside the bath, anyway." She smiled fondly at the memory. "But the next morning there were flowers outside my door, with an apology for startling me."

"How many times did you say no, anyway?" Fuu asked.

Sachi glared. "Hey, I said 'I do,' didn't I?"

"Point."

As they told their stories, Umi was continuing to poke around through the various boxes. She had located one bearing her predecessor's name, and carefully opened it, gently looking through the various personal effects therein. She continued listening as Michiko came under fire.

"What about you?" Hikaru asked. "Who'd you snare?"

Michiko grinned. "Royalty."

Fuu choked.

"Ironic, ain't it?" the elder Knight leered. "But enough about that, tell me more about this Ferio kid. Tall, good-looking, kind, good standing, has a big…um, sword…" Belatedly, Michiko realized exactly how that sounded, but it was too late to save her pride, and she flushed a brilliant crimson as the others dissolved into giggles.

Umi, who had doubled over with laughter, straightened up and brushed tears of laughter away as she asked, "So, Fuu, does he have a big sword? Inquiring minds want to know!"

"I wouldn't know," Fuu replied delicately.

More laughter.

"He was a good man, and the most doting father I've ever seen," Michiko went on to stave off any further embarrassment. Her expression grew distant. "I do miss him…"

The three younger girls were silent for a minute before Fuu spoke up once more. "There's something else that's been bugging me. A lot. Michiko and Sachi, you told us that your lovers perished in the battle. Amaya, what became of yours?"

The former Water Knight's eyes clouded over, and she averted her gaze. "He survived."

"Really? But I thought you said—oh…" Fuu trailed off as comprehension dawned.

Amaya had wished her children away to the safety of another place. If her lover had been alive…

"It was just too dangerous," she explained. "There was too much happening. The Pillar was still very young, in desperate need of guidance to pull Cephiro back together. There were still enemies everywhere. Cephiro needed a leader, and he was really the only one who could have pulled this country through. He did…but I don't know if he ever forgave me for what happened. I wouldn't blame him if he hated me…though I hope he understood."

Meanwhile, Umi had pulled a leather folder from the stack of books and things marked with Amaya's name. It was brown leather, ornamented with gold on the front, and showed every sign of being important and well-protected. Curious, she opened it, and found one piece of parchment inside. Her eyes scanned over the writing…

…and widened.

"Somewhere in here, you'll probably find the contracts," Sachi was explaining. "Marriage isn't the word they use for it here, but we made the promise, took the vows, kissed in front of everyone to seal the deal, and went about what was essentially married life."

"With the benefits?" Fuu grinned wickedly.

The next few lines that came out of Sachi's mouth were absolutely unprintable.

Fuu winced. "Did you kiss your hubby with that mouth?"

Sachi smirked. "Frequently."

"Umi, what's the matter?" Hikaru asked, moving to her friend's side. All attention turned to the aforementioned Knight, who was standing rigidly, hands clutching at an old piece of paper. Her wide cerulean eyes were fixated on the words in shock.

"Umi?" Michiko asked, concerned. "What is it?"

And suddenly, Umi was her normal self. "Oh, nothing. I'm fine. Just a little surprised, is all." She laughed unconvincingly and headed towards the door. "I'll be right back. I need to go talk to someone really fast. Just a quick question, I'll be back in a few minutes. You can keep looking, don't wait on me…" She was babbling now, and she knew it, as she inched her way out the door before turning and tearing down the hallway, parchment still clutched carefully in her hands.

Amaya watched silently.

Knowingly.

_o_

_o_

Clef turned at the knock on the door. "Yes?"

He did not seem particularly surprised when the door opened and Umi slipped in, closing the door behind her. She was holding what seemed to be some sort of document; it looked old.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" he asked amiably.

"Yes…and no," she asked, fidgeting nervously. Bad sign.

He waited, somewhat uneasily, as she crossed the room slowly, and deliberately held out the document in her hand. He took it and flipped it over to read it, brow furrowed in thought.

After a long, tense moment, he sighed and lowered the paper. His eyes closed as he spoke. "So you know." It was a statement, not a question, and not a happy one in either case.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Umi asked quietly. "You and Amaya…"

"What was I supposed to say?" he snapped, suddenly irritated. "It really isn't any of your business either way." Turning away from her, he took a deep breath. "You should really forget what you've learned today, Umi. It's for the best for everyone involved."

Umi took a step towards him. "Could you forget her?"

He stiffened perceptibly. And after a moment, he sighed. "No…and neither can you." As he spoke, he looked back down at the aged parchment in his hand. _Marriage_ was a word foreign to Cephiro, but there was a legal equivalent—which is exactly what Caliana and Ferio had been promised to, to strengthen the alliance of their countries—and that document was proof of it.

"You can't possibly expect me to," she replied.

"No," he sighed.

"…Clef," Umi said after a long moment of tense, uncomfortable silence that spoke volumes, "…there's something I think I should tell you."

Quickly and succinctly, Umi told him of Fuu's revelation. Clef listened silently, incredulously, as she explained their link to their predecessors, and most importantly in this situation, her true connection to Amaya. A connection that ran far deeper than mashin—a connection that coursed through her veins.

When she finished, he waited a moment before saying, "So you and I…"

"Yes," she affirmed.

Silence.

Finally, it was too much, and she decided to just change the subject from…_that_. "Were you angry with her?" Umi pressed. "For what she did?"

Clef answered a little too quickly. "No."

She was startled to feel herself chuckle lightly. "Liar."

He stared at her for a minute before he actually smiled sadly and shook his head. "Yes, I know…"

"Have you spoken to her yet?"

"No," he replied. "I've seen her, but she always disappears."

"If you could corner her…would you ask her?" she prodded as gently as possible.

"I don't know," he said honestly.

Giving up, Umi moved back towards the door. But she paused, one foot out in the hallway, and turned back to him. "You haven't let go yet, Clef. Anyone can see that. But…it's been so long. I know it still hurts, but you shouldn't let the loss of one love stop you from loving another." Thoughts of long golden hair, a fierce temper, and a magical dance of sword-weaving flashed through Umi's mind.

And she left before he could respond. She'd pried far more than was probably her business, but she had to know. This was her family, her heritage, and her legacy. It was quite a shock to discover that you hadn't been chosen randomly to become a figure of legend, but it had been a mark placed on you well before you were even born—a title that was your birthright.

Strolling down the hallway, back towards the records room, she paused at one particular door. Beyond that door lay one of the palace's orchards. And if her hunch was correct, Ascot was probably there. He favored the tree-filled rooms, and he and his rather large friends took it upon themselves to harvest the fruit on demand.

She debated—should she go in and talk to him? But what would she say?

She inched closer, and one unsteady hand raised to push the door open. They couldn't go on like this. Time to set the record straight and get this figured out between them, come what may.

"Umi!"

The Water Knight jolted and turned to see Fuu running towards her; her face was red and her breathing labored from exertion. But the most alarming quality was her eyes: they were red-rimmed and tear-filled. She was crying, and horribly, horribly upset. "Umi!"

"Fuu?" Umi frowned at her friend's state. "What's the matter?"

The Knight of Windam was frantic. "Creator just told us."

"What?" Umi persisted with a sudden feeling of foreboding. Unbeknownst to both of them, a certain summoner was on the other side of the door, having heard Umi's name and rushed over. Ascot was listening intently to whatever this big announcement was.

Fuu hiccupped and took a shaky breath before she sobbed out one sentence that made Umi's world drop out from under her all over again. "He said it's time for us to go back."

_o_

_o_

_o_

**AN:** Whew…that's done. I'll sit here and wait patiently for hate-mail, I guess. I was kind of pleased, though—only one person actually guessed it (that I know of). Bravo to **Kendra—**you called it! I shower you with shiny silver cyber donuts!

And now—something fun. Used several new ones in this chapter for the children, and I like to try and make names fit in some way, shape, or form. So for your benefit—Name Translations! Hooray!

_Taura: _many lakes

_Akira: _anchor

_Haruko: _spring child

_Kei: _rapture or reverence

_Taro: _first-born male

_Kisho: _one who knows his own mind

_Yasuo: _peaceful one

_Garin: _warrior (not Japanese, though—old German)

But this story is almost over. I think next chapter is going to be it, the end—it's actually already about a third done. What can I say, I got bored? It'll be a comparatively short one, I think, just to wrap the story up, but I'm going to throw in a little bonus for all you lovely people. If all goes according to plan, at the end of next chapter, you'll get a little teaser, a sneak-peek, or what have you, of the sequel I've started planning to this story. Hope to see you then!

**NEXT (AND FINAL) CHAPTER: **Having learned the secret of their legacy and heritage, it's time for the teenagers from Earth to return home to Tokyo. An answer (finally!), goodbyes, and one last wish…


	17. Until We Meet Again: Epilogue

**AN: **Well…here it is. All announcements, plus the special sneak peek (yay!) will be at the end of the chapter. I'll let you get right to it then—warning, this is _extremely_ short, compared to the rest of the fic, following by a _monstrously_ long author's note. But I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. I don't own Magic Knight Rayearth. Just my original characters.

_

* * *

_

**Until We Meet Again: Epilogue**

It was over.

He had heard the announcement. The Magic Knights were to return to their own world.

Which meant that Umi was leaving. Ascot marched through the palace corridors, looking for a place to hide. He didn't think he could face her, after everything, even if it was to say goodbye.

_Especially_ if it was to say goodbye.

He had to hide. He had to let her go. He had to—

"Ascot?"

He froze. He had to learn to walk faster…

Turning slowly, he found himself face-to-face with the one person he had been trying so desperately to avoid, both for his own embarrassment and the lack of a response regarding her feelings.

Umi regarded him calmly, not missing the panic that flitted across his face, or the way every muscle in his body tensed at the mere sound of her voice. The tension grew as she walked towards him, the heels of her boots clicking on the corridor's polished stone floor.

Umi really didn't know what she was doing. She had seen him, and hadn't even intended to call out to him, but his name had left her mouth before she had even realized what was happening. And now she was walking towards him, her calm exterior belying her own nervousness.

She was close enough to touch him now. All she had to do was reach out, and…

Up until that moment, she hadn't know. She hadn't even thought about it.

Now…

"…Umi?" Ascot murmured uncertainly.

"Shhh…" she whispered. Though she herself had grown up quite a bit, and she was the tallest of the three Magic Knights by a fair amount, he was still a good head taller than her, and she had to stretch up to reach to him. Her fingers clenched around the loose collar of his summoner's robes, and used that as leverage to draw his head down.

He didn't resist.

In hindsight, Umi realized that this should have happened a whole lot sooner.

And as she looked back on it later, it was quite clear just how _right_ it really felt.

_Ascot_…

_

* * *

_

The crowd that gathered in the throne room was far from happy. Caldina wept outright as she went around hugging everyone goodbye; she shared an especially long embrace with Kagura, in whom she had found the closest thing to a kindred spirit she had ever encountered, Umi aside. Takeshi shook hands with everyone—except for Caldina, who glomped him within an inch of his life.

Amaya, Michiko, and Sachi were not there. Those farewells had been made earlier, and Amaya had hugged each of them, pausing to whisper to Umi that they would definitely see each other again.

The Magic Knights themselves weren't really paying attention to most of the people. Yes, they'd said their goodbyes to all their friends, but now…now it was time for the really tough goodbyes. No one dared disturb these moments—yet. Creator was beginning to look impatient. They had to return to their own world now, He said. There was too much for them there.

Hikaru was sobbing, clinging to Lantis with all the desperation of a starving man holding onto bread. The cail's head was dipped to whisper something into her ear that no one else could hear. He looked just as distressed, though without the tears.

Nearby, Umi and Ascot were standing toe-to-toe, facing each other. Her hands were enveloped in his, hidden beneath the voluminous sleeves of his summoner's robes. They were talking, quietly. Umi seemed outwardly calm, though her hands trembled ever so slightly in Ascot's, and her eyes bore the distinct shimmer of something she refused to shed.

The most heartbreaking, though, were the ones standing beside the door. Fuu and Ferio…to be parted after fighting so hard to have their all-too-brief time together. Their foreheads were pressed together, his fingers tangled through her hair and touching her face; she was clutching at the front of his tunic, as a few tears finally broke from her self-control to escape. Like the others, they were speaking quietly—and as with the others, no one dared to eavesdrop.

Finally, Creator sighed. "Magic Knights…I am sorry…but it is time."

In the next few seconds, they slowly stepped apart. Fuu visibly shuddered as Ferio released her. And with equal slowness, they moved towards the appointed spot in the middle of the room. Best to do this quickly, before someone had a chance to try and run.

As everyone watched, calling out last goodbyes, the yellow gem-stone on Creator's forehead began to glow. The five young people from Earth were surrounded by the all-too-familiar light that swept upwards around them, lifting their feet from the floor.

And as the bright light enveloped them, swallowing them up for the journey back to their own world, Umi gave her fellow Knights' hands a squeeze, and held on. _I wish…I wish that we could all be together, us and our friends from Cephiro. Forever._

A floor suddenly solidified beneath their feet. Eyes opened to see Tokyo Tower once again, exactly as it had been when they had gone to fight Xander. The observation deck was void of people, and the broken window was still broken.

While Takeshi and Kagura broke away, Hikaru looked around in bewildered sadness; Fuu fell to her knees and wept without shame. Umi looked out the window at the darkened sky. The lights of Tokyo sparkled like stars.

_I wish…someday…_

_

* * *

_

The five teenagers walked in silence. The air had taken on an unseasonable briskness, causing all of them to take jackets for warmth. All five had hands shoved into pockets, and none of them really looked at anyone else. They were simply walking together, towards a common destination, each wrapped up in their own individual thoughts on the exact same subject.

As the intimidating form of Tokyo Tower loomed over them, they paused, hesitating for a mere second, before they went in and got on the elevator. They were the only ones in the car, and the ride was silent and thoughtful, remembering…

_The elevator door closed with a soft hissing sound—a harbinger of doom to the five teens now trapped within. They heard claws scraping across metal, accompanied by a softer sound, which was in all probability the tentacles. But a second later, the elevator began moving, heading towards the top of Tokyo Tower, and whatever might be waiting there._

As they reached the top, the doors opened with a ding, and the observation deck lay before them. They walked from the elevator; it closed and headed back down. There weren't many people visiting the landmark at that moment, and so they could enjoy relative privacy.

By some unspoken accord, they inched towards one window in particular. One month ago, the papers had heralded the awful news that vandals had attacked Tokyo Tower, shattering one of the windows on the observation deck. Never mind that the glass had been strewn about the floor of the deck, indicating that the window had broken from the outside, a near impossibility for any normal vandal.

_There was a shattering of glass and the shimmer of light reflecting off demonic eyes. There were glistening claws and teeth dripping saliva, slimy tentacles and angry growls of inhuman, unearthly beasts, set on blood and murder._

Here. This was the spot.

Their spot, they privately thought of it.

_Beyond the beasts, beyond the shattered windows, a bright light appeared at the distant edge of the horizon. And like the voice, it was oh-so-familiar. Eyes widened in realization, in the case of the three Knights, and fear, in the case of the two hapless friends standing behind them. But it was only Fuu who managed to give voice to the thought she and her fellow Knights shared. "Cephiro…"_

Five people, four young women and one young man, looked out over the panorama of Tokyo, cast in the glow of a setting sun. For a brief, terrible time, this had been draped in the shadows, under the threat of a never-ending night.

_Suddenly, there was a burst from the horizon. But instead of being an explosion of fire, or the light that usually carried them to Cephiro, it was a bomb of darkness that swept down over the landscape, swallowing everything beneath that blackness._

Fuu was the first to speak. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Beside her, Kagura nodded. "Yeah…"

Hikaru leaned her elbows on the guard rail and let her weight rest on them. "Hard to believe it's already been a month since all that happened, isn't it? Every time we go there, something changes…"

Takeshi sighed. "Scared the crap out of me, personally. But yeah…it does feel like things have changed." He looked at the girls. "Something's different, even if I can't tell you what it is."

"Simple," Umi spoke, and everyone looked at her. "Every time we go to Cephiro, we've grown up a bit more by the time we come back. Strength from adversity and all that jazz." She tossed her hair back in the classic Umi manner and turned her gaze back towards the sunset.

"…I gotta admit, I feel weird now when I complain about Organic Chemistry," Kagura grinned.

Her companions laughed before lapsing into that same comfortable silence.

"Do you think we'll go back again?" Fuu asked after a minute. Her fingers fiddled unconsciously with a ring on her left hand—a simple gold band, engraved with strange characters that no one else from Earth would recognize as Cephirean runes. It had still been on her hand when they had landed back on Tokyo Tower. She did not ask how or why. The fact that it was there was simply enough—her one real connection to the man she truly loved.

"Maybe. Someday," Umi whispered, remembering her secret wish and Amaya's words, that they would see each other again. "You never know when Cephiro might need the Magic Knights again. And call me crazy, but I have a feeling that we haven't seen the last of Cephiro and the mashin."

Agreement met her proclamation. Then slowly, by some unspoken accord, they all moved closer together, into a tight circle. Their hands all found each other's, linking them into an unbroken ring. Five pairs of eyes glanced around at each other before falling closed.

Five young people, who had seen and saved another world as well as their own, let their minds drift back to that magic place, where the power of one's will could determine destiny.

And they wished.

_**Owari**_

_

* * *

_

**AN. **…it's actually over. Over a year and a half, over one hundred thousand words, and this labor of love is over. I almost felt bad because someone was so certain there would be a twist…nope, not this time around. Below is a _monstrously_ long author's note—you have been warned. I have many people to thank, and a couple of uber-important announcements, so please bear with me. I have many thank-you's to make, but there's one in particular that must be mentioned first and foremost.

When I first started this story, I set out with the intent of taking as many clichés as possible, mashing them together in one story, and seeing if I could still twist them up a bit. And the person who was my sounding board throughout was my dear, dear friend **VixieAngel**. She's actually the one who got me hooked on MKR in the first place. And thus, it began.

A basic plot was formed during our many hours of Music Theory homework and rhythm clapping (_hissss_…), and finally, after several months of discussing ideas and bouncing random thoughts around, I had a comprehensive outline. And **VixieAngel** was the one who thought of the title, if I remember correctly. Without her, _Tears of the Sea_ in its present form would not exist. If you liked the story, she's really the one you need to thank. So—thank you, thank you, thank you a thousand times over, Vixie. You're a goddess amongst mortals, and one of the best friends a girl could ask for—hey, if we dragged each other kicking and screaming through Music Theory, we can survive anything, so long as we laugh a lot, dance with the Oompa Loompa eighth-notes, and put the earmuffs on the cookie!

Secondly, but no less importantly, I want to thank all of you—the readers, reviewers, emailers, all the people who kept me going on this labor of love. I wasn't quite sure how TotS would be received when I first tossed it up on this site, just a dinky little prologue that didn't tell much of anything. I have enjoyed every single comment, guess, speculation, suggestion, and compliment I have received. It means a lot to me that y'all like my story. It was fun seeing if I could keep you guessing. Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me until the end.

**ZE SEQUEL!**

And now, the announcement: a few chapters back, I asked about a **sequel**. There was an overwhelmingly positive response to this idea. I have a good number of ideas that didn't make it into this story, and I already have a basic plot figured out. **And lo, I was motivated during my first week of break, and actually already wrote out the prologue. It is posted for your reading enjoyment, and for my utter delight in teasing my readers. The title is _Song of the Wind._ I hope you'll all go check it out!**

_:Humming to herself, Candy-chan toodles off into the sunset:_


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